Solace: The Healing Poison
by HorseJumper
Summary: About two months after the Great Thaw and everything is well in Arendelle. Until Elsa's royal court throws some big news on her, a law stating she must be married by the age of 25. They prepare a party where eligible bachelors will line up for her hand. But Elsa never expected the King of the Southern Isles to send one of the princes to offer his hand. Continued summary inside
1. Summary

Elsa did not expect to fall for the price of the southern isles on the night of her ball. Especially after he asked for her hand over a letter. But what she really didn't expect was the second man. Who Kristof asked to make a sword so that kristof could present it to Elsa. Then inviting the man to the ball. The man shows up and Elsa is quite intrigued by him, she asks him to stay at the castle after he says that he has no place to go. Elsa realizes that the feelings she thinks she has for the prince of the southern isles might be wrong. She fears that the right feelings may be toward this strange man. She doesn't know that at Anna's birthday ball he will comit the ultimate crime and betrayal. What happens next? Well you'll have to read to find out...


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**In the Beginning**

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**Disclaimer: I do not and never will own frozen, that honor goes to Disney**

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"Its easy to forget how full the world is of people, full to bursting, and each of them imaginable and constantly misimagined..."

-John Green; Paper Towns

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**July 5, 1845**

**9:31 AM**

**Elsa's Room**

Outside of the castle snow fell gently from the grey sky and danced delicately to the already fluffy ground. Children played happily as their fathers trudged through the knee deep snow, off to a busy day at work. And yes, the snow is Elsa's doing, but only because they asked. In reality, it was mid July and sunny. The queen smiled at her subnets as her gaze drifted to Sven and Olaf running around the street and knocking over everything in the way. After they hit something Olaf would turn his head, about to say sorry, and then they'd hit something else. It was quite a production. though nobody seemed to mind, Elsa made a mental note in her mind to scold them for their childish behavior. A fist pounded obnoxiously on the closed door, the queen sighed and turned around. Her work always knew exactly where to find her. She watched wordlessly as the butler, Anders, hurried into the room and started picking out an outfit for her.

Elsa allowed her legs to walk her back to the window. Her eyes traveled along the mountain tops until they stopped at the North Mountain. Where she could faintly make out her ice castle, standing tall and proud in all its beauty on the largest mouton in Arendelle. Elsa had always been a procrastinator, and since she didn't feel like working, the queen would stall till the last possible second. As her blue orbs stayed on the year round snow capped mountains, her thoughts traveled elsewhere. Recently, all she could think about was Anna and Kristof. Well ,not exactly about them, but about what they have. is this how Anna was feeling that night at my coronation? She would constantly wonder to herself.

Where all you want to do is find someone to be there for you, joke with, cry with, love. the though scared Elsa out of her wits, but was oddly appealing at the same time. I mean, what if she thinks she is in love with the first person she sees today? _Well, the first person i saw today was Anders, sooo_... These thoughts made Elsas walls rise up even higher, if that was even possible. Ever since the great thaw, Anna had made sure that her sister had kept that wall reasonably low, but recently, shed been devoting all of her time to Kristof. Allowing the queen to give most of her time to her shadow. Elsa just couldn't help the flurry of jealousy that would churn in her stomach every time Anna and Kristof were together. She could always manage a joke and smile in front of them, but how much longer could she envy them without getting bitter? Just the way he smiled at her, the way she blushed when he said something complementary. Elsa used to think it would just be a phase, maybe even hoped. Now she knows, love ins't a phase, love is love, and love is forever.

The door clicked open and banged against the wall, making way for a very angry butler named Anders. He marched in and glared at the queen.

"Get ready, _your majesty,"_ he said mockingly," the Royal Council has just called in an emergency meeting."

Elsa threw her head back and groaned loudly. _Why must they always __interrupt me in my one moment of peace?_

"Right now, your majesty." Anders added

"As they ask, I will be done momentarily."

He nodded and left the room, obviously still not positive if Elsa was being serious or sarcastic. She moved to the dress and held it up, Anders had chosen a deep purple dress that fell to the floor. The queen undressed and stepped into her outfit for the day. Shed never worn this one before, but then again, Elsa has like fifty dresses that she's never worn. As she continued to execute her daily routine, Elsa wondered if maybe she would find someone to share her life with. Picking up her crown, Elsa placed it on her head, but not before it iced over. Dammit. She had been having sketchy control of her powers for the last few days. Thought the queen wasn't worried about it, she knew that if Anna saw it would be game over. Unfreezing it with the half hearted flick of her wrist, Elsa put her makeup on.

After that she slipped on her shoes. Her number one rule: the higher the heel, the closer to god. It was just the cherry on the ice cream that she looked totally hot in them. Then she ran down the hall, tight dress, long heels and all. Passing all the portraits of her parents without even getting very depressed. Years of practice put to the test every day. At the third door to the right she skidded to a halt, next to Anna, who was facing the door. Waiting for it to be opened. Elsa gave the guards the all signs go motion and they heaved the doors opened. The wood screeched in discontent but obliged to the guards efforts with little help. The two royals entered the room.

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**12:05 AM**

**Royal Meetings Room**

Seven pairs of eyes looked up at the knew company for a moment before they set down their pens and stood up. The girls stopped at their chairs at the head of the table. The Royal Council members bowed in stiff respect before everyone took a seat. The steward paced to the middle of the table, the only sound were his heels clicking against the wood. He halted and adjusted his glasses before unrolling a parchment. The short man cleared his throat in suspense before beginning his announcement.

"Let this meeting begin!" He he stated as if this were some kind of huge event that were of the utmost importance, before returning to his place near the back of the room.

"I understand that there is some reason for for your calling an emergency meeting. I would however like to consider this a chance to get extra work done. That being said how about we discuss how everything is going in our own personal realms?" the men nodded and quickly scanned their notes, preparing to speak at any said moment," Minister of Trade, is their anything you wish to put forward at this moment?"

"Yes, but first, have you gotten the chance to read over any of the trade offers yet?" Lukas Figeston asked

"In fact, i have. I think it is in our best benefit to send someone over to Corona and set up an agreement. Though i was planning to ask you if Italy or the Western isles would serve as better benefit to this kingdom, or both."

"I can see how trading with both Italy and the Western isles would be appealing, but Arendelle is a small kingdom. Stretching our recourses is not the wisest thing to do, i mean no offense, your majesty."

"None is taken, but you have not answered my question."

"I was getting there. I have thought extensively and looked into both countries supply of the goods we need, and i think that France is in our best benefit."

"France? Ok, why?"

"Though they aren't as extensive in salts and spices, or wools like the other countries, they have a very powerful military. Having them as ally in the event of war in the future would be incredibly wise and very good for this country, I personally think it's best to take the bull by the horns, the bull would be the war of course."

"I see your point, make a note to send a figure to France as well as Corona. I would like to reopen trade with my cousins. I understand we lost contact with them during the years of my... Confining?"

"That is correct your majesty, I too agree we should see if Corona would like to trade."

Elsa looked around the room as he started scribbling messily on his notes. Her eyes landed on the scribe, who was writing neatly on his paper their every word. She had always wondered how someone could have the patience and skill to be able to do that job. Stephon Litchel, the Official Scribe, had worked for the king for twenty years and then for Elsa.

"Thats all i have to say, your majesty," Lukas's voice caught back her attention

"Very well, Bishop eli," she looked to the tall and stick thin man with an absurdly large nose (kinda like Ichabod Crane)

"Im afraid there were some misguided souls that had to be set straight this week. Men calling you a witch, spawn of Satin, and things much much worse."

"If people wouldn't be such- ouch!" Anna flinched when Elsa stomped on he foot, effectively shutting her up. Though not stopping the angry princess form glaring at her sister, to which Elsa ignored.

"As you were saying?" Elsa asked

"Yes, as i was saying, the church is doing very well and should their be any problems in the future i don't see any obstacles in solving them peacefully, as god intended."

"Chevon?" Chevon Esterinal, Marshall of Arendelle, the only female ever at the head of Arendelles army.

"Over the course of your childhood, the one thing your father failed to grow was the military. I mean no offense, but it is impartial that we put the military at the top of our priorities list."

"In what aspects should we consider improving?"

"All of them, we only have two battalions, three groups of on foot soldiers, and 150 nights. I suggest finding out a way to get more battle ships, maybe add on some more money being sent to the families of soldiers. To add to their incentives. The other countries have found our kingdom at its weakest time in decades. An attack now wouldn't take much to be a fatal blow."

"Okay, we'll, we just discussed getting France as a war ally. And Coronas military is far from weak."

"That is true, and I have n. Doubt that your uncle and king of Corona would gladly help us in case of warfare, but their military is not as strong as, say, Westleton, we are no doubt at the top of their countries most hated list. France has an extensive military, but we've never helped them before in battle. What's gonna make them help us?"

Elsa was about to speak but Chevon beat her to the gun.

"Our military is weak and we have been found in weak times. Our government is struggling to gain its bearings and we have a vast land with great resources. I'm sure we look like the golden apple to everybody. We need to take the reins here and make our military better. Your majesty, hear me out on this, are you completely opposed to using your magic to protect your people?"

The temperature in the room dropped, and that was all Chevon needed.

"That's all fine, but maybe you could make ice battle ships?"

Elsa weighed chevrons words and the more she thought about it, the more she couldnt believe she hadn't thought of it first.

"I'm willing to see where that would take us."

"Wasn't your little snowman gonna melt when it turned warm again? What's to keep the shop from melting?"

"That wont be a problem. Olaf is made of snow, my snow melts in the heat, but my ice will last year round."

"Thacts wonderful! We can set up a date to make a fleet if ice ships!" Chevon and Elsa grinned at each other

"Guildsmen Vicinomy, is their anything the guilds have to say?" she thought his first name to be Kaylen

"Not at the moment, though I'm sure they'll think of something to bug me with sooner or later." the heavyset man with the red beard said in all seriousness

"Very good. What about you Tyson?" she asked the high justicar

"Nothing to big, i had to organize some issues with public disputes that got to much out of hand, but nothing that needs to concern any of us too much."

"Excellent, shall we reconvene next week?"

"Your majesty?" the steward once again strode to the middle of the table," I believe you are forgetting the real nature of this meeting."

"Oh, right. What would that be?" Elsa noticed that Anna could barely contain herself. The queen was sure that her little sister would burst. Her first instinct was to get the heck outta there! But she stayed seated and willed herself not to worry too much.

"We are holding a ball next week."

"Thats it?"

"Well-" Elsa decided the man wasn't sure how to word his next sentence," to find you a husband."

"A husband?"

"Yes!" Anna squealed

"Anna, calm down. No ones gonna need help because there will be no ball."

"What do you mean?" Anna seemed generally confused, bless her heart

"Im truly touched that you all care so much about my love life, but i think i can manage myself.. in time."

"Rest assured your majesty, we would all love to give you that time, but.." Tyson trailed off

"But what?"

"But... there is this law. Said law states that you must be married by the age of twenty five."

Elsa gulped

"I take it you have a plan?"

"Yes, at the ball, you will meet plenty of men. You will consider each and everyone of them, taking into deep consideration who will make the best husband for not only you, but for your kingdom as well."

"Woah, woah, woah," Anna cut in there," that is not what will be happening, here is a better description. You will talk to all of them and base you decision on true love."

"Anna, you know that i don't believe in true love."

"Irrelevant." Anna waved her hand dismissively

"My sincerest apologies your majesty, but we have deadlines to meet here."

"Your dead line is four years away."

"At least be open minded, this ball is also to knight Kristof," Chevon said," so its happening wether you like it or not."

"Alright, alright, what day of the week will it be held?"

"Tuesday."

"Sounds good, now if you'll excuse me, i have work to do."

"Damnnn," Elsa glared at her sister," i mean darn right you do. Here, I took the liberty of making a list."

Anna proceeded to name at least fifty things that would need to be accomplished for this to be, and i quote,' absolutely positively the biggest and best event in the history of forever!' Then Elsa was dragged from the room by her all too excited sister, and we all know how bad an over excited Anna can be. She nearly took three servants and a knight in shinning armor as she switched from reading the list to watching where she was going while careening recklessly down the hallway. They ended up in the study, or at least thats what she thought (the queen was a little dizzy). Or more professionally called the party planing room.

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**2:21 PM**

**The Study**

Anna spent extra time here planning ridiculous parties, most often with outrageous bills and crazy themes. Needless to say, most of them only happened in her sisters dreams. Anna forced Elsa into a chair before seating herself in the one behind the desk. Or more appropriately, the flat surface covered with papers, pens, and... i hope thats chocolate, considering the desk wasn't actually visible.

"Do you remember that week you went Aiden and left me here in charge?"

"How can i forget? That was also the week you held a three day festival in the village without asking and failing to cover it up after."

"Yeah, well that was also when i planned a totally awesome party in my free time."

"You mean in your when-i-shouldve-been-cleaning-time?"

"Yep, thats it. I showed it to you, remember?"

"I don't know, you've shown me so many."

"Are you being sarcastic? Fine, Ill just plan the whole thing myself." Sudden frightening images of what could go wrong if Anna was left in charge filtered into her mind, she shuddered

"Ok, Im sorry, i vaguely remember you showing me that." she didn't at all, considering she hadn't really been listening...

"How about i refresh your memory? It was a masquerade ball, ring a bell?"

"Oh, that one. So thats the concept you want for this party?"

"I think it'd be perfect, you have to find a husband and its totally romantic if you fall in love with his personality and then his face."

"I can see your point." Elsa kept her voice carefully neutral

"You don't like it?" Annas brow furrowed in worry

"Like it? I think its great!"

Anna squeled and practically bounced right out her chair as her eyes grazed over the list.

"Okay, so first off i thought wed start with decorations. Obviously we need to pick colors, what do you think?" Anna didn't pause though," I was thinking we could just go black and white so as not to off set anyones gown shade. We don't want the color to be overwhelming so white and black would serve as dimming down the bright dresses and tuxes. But we don't want it to be to bland so we can have more color in the foods, which we will get to in a minute." Anna exhaled deeply

"That all sounds great, but what room do we hold it in?"

"Right, the room. How about the ball room in east wing? Its big and theres room to bring a tables. Oh! And the walls are grey, that goes with the black and white! Its perfect!"

"Good thinking, can i go now?"

"Ah ah ah, we are no where near done."

Anna was right, they worked for five more hours before Elsa finally managed to convince her sister that they caulk stretch the work out enough to last till Sunday. Monday would be a day off. They had covered all of the decorations., figured out where to put the tables, and decided on the food and drink. There would be a big four teared white teared cake with black designs, macaroons, mini sandwiches, fish, red and white wine, water, cupcakes of every color, cookies, and fruit. Then Elsa retired to her study to get some work done, though shed have to work later tomorrow to make up the lost time today.

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**7:15 PM**

**Elsa's Office**

The queen sat down tiredly in her desk chair and swiveled around. She opened up one of her many filling cabinets , rehang for the newest letter that she'd put away the night before. Elsa swiveled back around in her chair and picked a letter at random. She grabbed her letter opener, which was a gift from a child in the village. It wasn't very nice, made of rough wood and in an odd shape, but Elsa still loves it. After opening the envelope Elsa carefully opened the letter. The queen could tell it was from another royal because the envelope had been engraved and beautifully designed. However the handwriting inside was sloppy and barely legible, suggesting a small child had written it.

_Dear Queen Elsa,_

_My brother said that thats how i should address you. Anyways, my names Viviana, but everybody just calls me Vivvy. I have heard so many stories about your powers. I was so mad when i heard that people came hunting for you! I think your powers are amazing, and i wish i could have powers just like yours. That would be so __awesome! My brother is coming to visit you soon, i asked if he would take me along, but he said no. He did promise to say hi though. I really do wanna come visit your kingdom when I'm older. I've heard its beautiful and that the mountains are so prestigious, whatever that means! I hope you get around o reading this but i totally get it if you don't have time. Also, your powers are a gift, not a curse, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Have a nice day!_

_p.s. My brother will likely flirt with you so just bare with him, he doesn't take rejection, so don't go easy on him! He's coming so i better get this in the envelope!_

Elsa smiled at the letter and immediately wished that she would be able to meet the little girl. Reading the letter had reminded the queen of how Anna had been when she was a little girl. Elsa was a little confused about what the girl had meant about her brother visiting. _Perhaps she's mistaken._ So Elsa just figured he would be attending the ball. The worn out queen really wished hat had been her last letter. But the stack still loomed dauntingly in front of her. Never seeming to shrink. SO she grabbed the next letter, also from a royal and slashed it open. Cutting her finger in the process, blood started to seep from the wound. She watched in wonder as ice started to creep from her skin, covering the cut in a thin layer of ice. effectively stopping the bleeding. It was like her own personal, unlimited stock of bandages. Her powers never cease to amaze. Suddenly her thoughts were disrupted by loud steps thundering down the hall. In the next moment Anna and Kristof were in the doorway, looking disoriented.

"What did i tell you guys about-" Elsa started scolding them once agin for inappropriate behavior

"Its not why you think!- forget it, we're going on a pick nick. Now."

"Where the basket?" Elsa called, but they were gone. Though the queen wasn't numb enough to fall for the picnic number, she let them go. She shrugged and returned her attention to the letter, just about to start it when a different, louder, faster and hoof like steps disrupted the previous silence. Elsa briefly considered making a run for it. _If Anna let Sven in again... _But the next thing to walk through the door was not a reindeer. It was much much worse. The next thing to come through the door was a little, disoriented, but very much alive Olaf.

"Hi Elsa! You look like you could use a warm hug!"

"Not now Olaf," she dismissed his offer

"Okkee dokee. Anyways, why did i come i here?"

"To give me a hug?"

"That was one reason, but there was another," his stump foot tapped on the ground in deep concentration," Oh yeah!" his eyes darted from side to side,"There is no reason to go into the dinning room. No reason at all. The curtain has always been like that. And all tables have three legs. Not enough legs if you ask me." he waddled for the door as fast as his stump legs could carry him, which was not very speedy," bye!"

"Wait Olaf, wheres your nose?"

"Well its not in the third suit of armor to the left if that what you asking," his voice was defensive and his eyes narrowed to slits as if he was the suspicious one

"Alright, you can go," Elsa was not in the mood to deal with Olaf's personal issues

He dashed out the door and turned left, his mushy footsteps faded down the hall. Elsa looked back at the letter and read the title._Dear Queen Elsa of Arendelle,_ that was as far as she got, because Sven's hoof steps started up again, and they were growing louder.

"Hi Sven!" she heard Olaf from down the hall, and then what sounded like his limbs being separated

The next thing she saw was Sven racing by the door. Olaf's nose firmly between his teeth. The snowman's jaw was clamped firmly around the reindeers tail. His other body parts trailing in their wake. Elsa stared out the open door while she heard a loud crashing sound and a dented helmet rolled through the door.

"I need a drink."

That was Olaf's cue, he came in, balling his eyes out. Until now, she hadn't known that was possible.

"Sven ate my nose," he cried

And then Sven, Anna and Kristof came crawling past the door, as if they were being incognito and she couldn't see them.

"Stop right there," three heads turned all at once," get in here."

They all obliged and stood in a line in front of an irritated Elsa.

"Sven, apologize to Olaf."

The reindeer had a smug look on his face as he hunted once.

"He said no," Kristof translated

"No carrots for a day," Elsa threatened, this had no effect on the animal as he raised his wholly head in defiance.

"A week," she raised the bar, or the carrot

He grunted again.

"What'd he say?" Anna asked

"A very bad word," Kristof announced, Elsa sighed

Fine, two weeks it is," she began to sit down when Sven steeped forward and made a weird noise

"He said sorry,"

"Really?!" Olaf clapped his hands, Sven hooded and Olaf threw his arms around Sven's neck

"Now all of you go to your rooms,"

"What?!" Anna cried," but we're sooooooooooo bored!"

"I'm sorry guys, but I have work to do and your being rather distracting, perhaps you could play outside?"

They all grinned at each other.

"SNOWBALL FIGHT!"

"-ball fight" Olaf shouted a little too late," what they said."

Every proceeded to drag Elsa to the courtyard.

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**7:46 PM**

**The Courtyard**

Elsa didn't understand why her people love to have snowball fights in any season but winter. It made no sense to her. And she had given them snow earlier too, she just hadn't left it. But there Elsa stood, in the middle of the square as Anna, Kristof and Olaf went door to door, getting people to dome out for a good ole fashion middle of the summer snowball fight. The fact that the queen had been taken captive and forced to engage in something she had no time for just irritated her. She was just glad that she hadn't betrayed her subjects enough that they would be afraid to have a snowball fight with her. She knew that in five minutes everyone that was unhappy about having their evening disturbed would be having fun, including Elsa. Snow has that effect on people. So she waited while they get everyone in the village into the main square. Sven had taken the liberty of getting some paint and painting the boundaries. A rectangle as the outline, leaving about five feet from the edge to the surrounding wall, and a line in the middle, followed by two more lines further into each opposing side. Like dodgeball. He finished painting with a total of five lines. All the elders, infants, toddlers, and people unable to play because of injuries. Anyone who didn't want to play had to anyways. The referee was an elderly man who often took on that same job, on the occasion that they did play.

Anna marched to the middle of the crowd, dragging Elsa with her, and shushed the crowd.

"Im sure you're all wondering why we have gathered on this finest of evenings. The reason is so that we can enjoy a snowball fight on what the queen has officially named national snowball fight memorial day!" Of course Elsa knew nothing about any of this," which means today, July 5th 1845, we will engage in the first of many snowball fights on this day. So, how should we do teams?"

Everybody started shouting ideas, after about five minutes we decided to do boys against girls, even though their pride would be more wooded then there bodies. The ref yelled let the game begin! And snowballs were thrown. This lasted for about three hours, and Elsa was right, before long, everyone was laughing and conversing and betting on who would get the queen out. The answer was none, because the girls won. She and Kristof had gone head to head, he had gotten Anna out, so naturally shed avenged her sister.

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**10:03 PM**

**Elsa's Office (once again)**

Now, Elsa was finally seated at her desk with the letter and a nice cup of red wine to decompress with. She held the letter up to her face, she held her breath, half expecting some crazy thing to happen at that very moment. When nothing happened, she began where she left off, after Dear Queen Elsa of Arendelle.

_I have taken into great consideration the treacherous and unforgivable things that my brother has done to you, your sister, and to your kingdom. Though it is not my choice, i do very much hope my eldest brother, King Terrance, gives hims punishment worthy of such great crimes. It is very confusing for us all, being able to __remember him when he was five, running around the castle wondering how his brothers could even skip dinner and go right to desert. But he has safely returned to and is being held in the dungeon until his trial. Though we have not decided his punishment, the king has decided to try and mend our relationship. More specifically to send one of his brothers to Arendelle to try and reestablish bonds. You should know that what Hans did, none of my brothers were aware of. We had no part in his dark plans what so ever. But our friendship should not be severed based on one sorry mans poor choices. Our friendship with your father was important to us and we fear now that he's gone we've lost that bond. I am not asking that we open a trade agreement, i simply ask that you give us a chance at your forgiveness. You might be asking yourself, how could i possibly trust, let alone be friends with anyone from that kingdom? Well, i'll tell. Though, i give you fair warning that you do not have to except and may decline my offer upon my arrival. My brother is offering my hand in your marriage. So, i guess what I'm saying is, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, will you do me the honor of being my wife? There, now that thats off my chest, down to the formalities. I will b arriving on the night of your party jut like everyone else, buti will be staying for two more days after that, your royal court gave their permission as well as mine. I will not be brining any of my brothers along, just a few gifts, and a ring. Not as pressure or anything, but just in case. All you have to do is say yes or no._

**_Now what will she do? Hi guys, this is my newest story, Im sorry if you liked the other, i just wasn't feeling it. But i think this one will be much better and i am definitely going to stick with it longer than the other. byways, this is like the longest chapter I've ever written, at least it feels that way. But being my stupid self, i closed the computer without saving it and half of it got erased. This chapter is mostly a day in the life sorta thing, diving into Elsa's feelings a tiny bit and setting the scene for the rest of the story. I am not gonna give you much of an insight on Elsa's feelings, or important thoughts. I believe she's a complicated person that should keep you guessing and always a little bit blind sided. But hopefully we'll get a ton accomplished in the net five or so chapters. I probably won't update for the next few days. I will be showing my horses and we also have to drive back home, its like ten hours and we just move, so everything is a bit chaotic. But keep checking and I'll be back. Hope you stick with the story. We're defiantly gonna get some romance, false hope, and dark themes in here soon. Also, I'm planning to make this a series sorta, with at least five other books. I don't know, the ideas just keep coming... stay tuned_**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Preparations**

* * *

**Disclaimer: Still don't own the movie **

* * *

"Sometimes laughing and crying are the only options left, and laughing feels better right now."

-Veronica Roth; Divergent

* * *

**Elsa's POV**

**Previously:**

Now, Elsa was finally seated at her desk with the letter and a nice cup of red wine to decompress with. She held the letter up to her face, she held her breath, half expecting some crazy thing to happen at that very moment. When nothing happened, she began where she left off, after Dear Queen Elsa of Arendelle.

_I have taken into great consideration the treacherous and unforgivable things that my brother has done to you, your sister, and to your kingdom. Though it is not my choice, i do very much hope my eldest brother, King Terrance, gives hims punishment worthy of such great crimes. It is very confusing for us all, being able to __remember him when he was five, running around the castle wondering how his brothers could even skip dinner and go right to desert. But he has safely returned to and is being held in the dungeon until his trial. Though we have not decided his punishment, the king has decided to try and mend our relationship. More specifically to send one of his brothers to Arendelle to try and reestablish bonds. You should know that what Hans did, none of my brothers were aware of. We had no part in his dark plans what so ever. But our friendship should not be severed based on one sorry mans poor choices. Our friendship with your father was important to us and we fear now that he's gone we've lost that bond. I am not asking that we open a trade agreement, i simply ask that you give us a chance at your forgiveness. You might be asking yourself, how could i possibly trust, let alone be friends with anyone from that kingdom? Well, i'll tell. Though, i give you fair warning that you do not have to except and may decline my offer upon my arrival. My brother is offering my hand in your marriage. So, i guess what I'm saying is, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, will you do me the honor of being my wife? There, now that thats off my chest, down to the formalities. I will b arriving on the night of your party jut like everyone else, buti will be staying for two more days after that, your royal court gave their permission as well as mine. . I will not be brining any of my brothers along, just a few gifts, and a ring. Not as pressure or anything, but just in case. All you have to do is say yes or no._

* * *

_**July 5, 1845**  
_

_**12:34 PM**_

_**Anna's Room**_

_"_No! I can't marry him, thats insane, who does he think he is? Writing me a letter and begging for my forgiveness? Its pathetic. Then going right past me and to my royal court because you know i would've declined? Its disgusting. And there i was thinking that maybe if he were really wanting to be friends we could go somewhere at least. And then he asks if he can marry me. He could've at least waited until he got off the ship and then asked, but noooo, thats too much work. Cant handle the rejection. ha! Ill show you rejection. I mean who the hell do they think they are. Waltzing into my kingdom like 'Im Prince Henry from the Southern fucking isles!" no. nah aw. They are not allowed to step foot in my kingdom, poisoning the air with their egos. Nope, I'm gonna go talk talk to the royal court right now! Demand respect, yeah, thats what i wanted to say!" I started walking for the door

"Elsa, i think you should calm down, burn off a little steam." Kristof said, I hadn't realized till now that Anna wasn't actually in the room and that I'd been ranting about my girl problems to a guy. Just as I was about to reply Anna came through the doors.

"Hey Elsa what are you doi-" she began

"Men are such idiots."

"Men? Or just prince Henry?"

"Well, I'm not sure- waaiiittt, how do you know about that?"

"Know about what?"

"Don't play coy, you knew about this."

"Only cause i could hear you from downstairs."

"Really?" my cheeks flooded with embarrassment

"Hey," Anna put a comforting arm around her shoulder," whats this really about?"

I turned her head to look into Anna's eyes, of course my sister would know this wasn't about the Southern Isles and their douche rulers. Of course shed know it was about something else, something deeper," does he really think so little of me that he would propose over a letter. I mean, i don't even know him and it hurt. Why did that hurt?" I didn't pay Kristof any mind

"Men are so clueless sometimes, I'm sure he meant nothing bad, and once he sees you I'm sure he'll rethink his proposal over letter."

"Whats that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what 'thats supposed to mean'" Anna mimicked my voice," You could have anyone you want, yet you don't want anyone."

"Two things, A, i don't sound like that, and B, I don't believe in love at first sight, or true love."

"Just look at Anna and I, we are the best example of true love," Kristof joined them and kissed Anna like she were the most precious thing on earth, I looked away

"I see," Anna said, with no amount of mockery in her voice,"your afraid."

"I am not,"

"Your a terrible liar Elsa." Anna shook her head as if she'd been completely prepared for this conversation her whole life

"I think I'm gonna go now," Kristof announced awkwardly as he made a bee line for the door

When he was gone the we both moved and sat down in two chairs that surrounded the fire place.

"I know you want to have a boyfriend, so don't even try that one on me." Anna said before i had the chance to defend myself

"So then what do you want?"

"I want to know why you won't let any boy take you on a date, or dance with you, or just chat. You decline them without a second glance."

"Anna, i really don't want to talk about this right now."

"Fine, but when you are, i'm here." and with that i got up and left, heading straight for my room

* * *

**July 6, 1845**

**11:00 AM**

**My Room**

This morning, by the time Anders finally got around to checking on me, i was already up. After yesterdays talk with Anna, or almost talk, I decided that i really would try and get to know someone at the ball. Maybe even before the ball, which would be even better. So as soon as my eyes opened and my brain started working, i hopped right out of bed and started my day with a bath. After which i let my hair dry while reading some poetry book that Anna likes. Once my hair was dry i slipped on a very simple turquoise dress with black and orange designs, similar to those on my coronation dress, but not quite the same. Since my hair was curly and down right un agreeable today, i pulled it back into a pony tail, did my makeup and slipped on some black heels, as always. Then i checked out the window, assessing the general temperature. Which most people would do before deciding and putting on their outfit for the day, but i am not most people. I decided to go with eighty since most people were wearing short sleeves. I was immediately glad that though the arms of my dress were long sleeve, they were made of the thinnest fabric. I placed a crown on my head and went down stairs for breakfast. Anna had left a note saying that they would be dinning in the dinning room today. Which was odd because on most days they'd eat in the library or study, if they ate breakfast at all. I decided that it must be some kind of family celebration for Kristof's knighting, and went to the dining room

* * *

**July 6, 1845**

**12:30 AM**

**The dinning room**

As soon as the doors opened I knew that this wasn't a celebration for Kristof because a young woman with blonde hair shrieked and jumped into my arms.

"Rapunzel, I wasn't aware that you were coming to visit." I said when she released me from her choke hold

"I know, it was kind of a spontaneous thing! Anna sent word that you were throwing a party and I'm like 'Eugene, Anna can't throw a party without me!' so here we are!" She said, Anna and Eugene were now at her side, Anna bouncing up and down. Clearly she had not wound down from the thrill of having her favorite cousin visit.

"Well thats great, so now you two can plan the whole party." I made a weak attempt of getting out of my party planning plans

"Oh no ya don't." Anna said

"You have to help us! The more the merrier!" Rapunzel added happily

"Yay," I said while we all moved to our seats, once i sat down i noticed that Olaf was also here, as well as Kristof who was looking quite uncomfortable in his tux. I also noted that though the table was balancing quite fine, it did in fact only have three legs. The servers brought out eggs and bacon and juice as everyone started chatting

"So, Anna already gave me the low down on everything you have planned and i must say that i think it is a brilliant idea. You are in good hands with us as your dress crew and mask designers!" Rapunzel was like a blonde haired Anna, trigger happy and very talkative

"Doesn't she know it," Anna said," so today we are gonna go into town and pick out gifts that we will give to Kristof for his ceremony! And tomorrow we will go see the trolls."

"Yay, Kristofs family!" Olaf added in anticipation

"Then we will do the dresses and then it'll be Monday, our day off, and then party day!" Anna squealed with glee, they continued into the topic of the ball in slightly quitter voices. I however am not at all interested in that particular subject, so i joined in with Kristof and Eugene in eating. Though I'm not sure exactly what Olaf is doing, it looks something like him trying to fashion a hat out of the bacon. To no avail obviously. The food, as always, is delicious, though i do not eat everything, as always. After we've finished Anna and Rapunzel are still deep into their conversation. I tried but i could only pick out fragments like 'set her up' and 'hot princes', after that i stopped trying to hear because those few words were not comforting.

* * *

**July 6, 1845**

**The village**

**2:24 PM**

Afterwards Kristof and Eugene were ushered off to do some manly bonding, i was ushered out of the castle by the two girls. Who once again were too excited for their own good. We hit a small boutique first, since it was closet to the castle, finding only things for girls like jewelry and small charms. None of which they assumed Kristof would like. Though, they liked a lot of the stuff, so by the time we were done each of us had a bag of stuff and one less hour to kill. I got a necklace with a simple chain and a diamond snowflake on it. We wandered the streets until I found a small cafe and decided to look for something to get him there. Anna and Rapunzel consider it cliche to get someone food, but if i were him i wouldn't mind getting food all that much. The girls decided to keep going and told me not to come into the shop across the street. Since they would also need to get me a gift. So i meandered into the cafe, trying to ignore the looks of praise and great admiration from the people in the building as they stopped to stare. I headed to the counter and bought a box of imported chocolates and also some carrots just in case, so Sven wouldn't feel left out. The women at the counter refused to let me pay, but i insisted and ended up leaving her a tip, though she wasn't very happy about it. Now that i have kristof's gift, I'm free to just follow the two girls. They are standing outside the cafe when i leave, Anna looking frustrated and Rapunzel holding a second bag.

She doesn't wait for me to ask whats in it before she pulls out a very nice looking pair of earrings. She must have seen the look on my face so she begins to explain.

"They're your present not Kristof's silly!" she giggles, and Anna just huffs, i shoot my cousin a look," she's mad because she can't find a gift."

"Anna, you don't have to get me a gift," I assure her

"Its not you, Kristof and i have had your gift for a couple days now. I just don't know what to give Kristof." she sighs for effect

"We're not even half done with the shops, you'll find something, and anyways, he'll love anything you give him."

Anna smiled but didn't too convinced. They continued down the road, as they passed a wood shop Rapunzel jumped and ran in. Clearly she got a brilliant idea. A couple minutes later she came back out looking satisfied." I got him a custom ice carrier box!" she announced, I knew that he would love that one because he was always saying how he wants to be able to keep some of his ice but doesn't have anything to keep it in. We kept looking for about thirty more minutes when i decided that I'd also get him a custom sheath for his sword. It was leather on the strap and could be attached to a belt or slung over your shoulder, it also has a holster for a small gun for when the time comes. Still Anna couldn't figure out what to get him, so i thought of something.

"How about i build him a custom sled out of ice thats bigger then his current one so that we can all sit comfortably in it?" i suggest with a shrug, Anne explodes

"Thats an amazing idea! Oh my gosh, i can't wait to build it, and we can give him our gifts tomorrow so that we can take it to Kristof's family!?"

"That sounds great! We can head back now." i answer

Turns out that we had shopped pretty far away, about a thirty minute walk.

"Elsa! Is it dinnertime yet?!" she moans for the seventh time in the last five minutes, and we are still about fifteen minutes from the gates of the castle

"In an hour," I reply calmly, not turning around to face her sister

"Awh-huh!" Anna complains, tilting her head to the sky in agony," An _hour!_?"

"You'll live."

"No, I won't!" Anna dramatically throws herself into Rapunzel's arms," Im gonna die right here and now unless I get my dinner!"

Rapunzel was doubled over, trying to keep Anna from falling, and almost everybody in the square was watching the scene. I rolled my eyes with a hopeless smile and pressed forward. Anna steadied herself and ran after me, then she jumped right in my path, her blue eyes sparkling. I stopped to watch as my younger sibbling started bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"You got Kristof chocolate," Anna tries to hint at her idea but doesn't completely give it away

"Absolutely not."

"Ughhhhh!" Anna dramatically puts her hand to her forehead," I think. Im going. Down." she sways for effect and this time Anna falls into _my_ arms.

"Anna, get up, your causing a scene!" I hiss in her ear, i give her a shove and she's back on her feet, I dust off my dress," we still have to build the sled, and you are heavier than you look."

"I know right!" Rapunzel agrees

"Its all in how you balance your weight, and you are the one thats building the sled."

"Oh no you don't. You have to help or there will be no sled at all."

"Fiiinnnneeee!" Anna starts shuffling along towards the castle, mumbling words that are probably best placed under her breath

I give Rapunzel and the people Anna disturbed an apologetic look before walking after her, Rapunzel on our tails.

* * *

**July 6, 1845**

**6:01 PM**

**The Garden **

By the time we got to the garden Anna had already forgotten all about her appetite. All she was concerned about now was Kristof's gift, all she had talked about for the last five minutes were doubts about the present. 'what if he hates it?' or 'what if he says he likes it and doesn't actually' or even 'maybe he'll break up with me'. Anna basically said the worst case scenario that came to her mind. Neither of us replied, letting Anna cool down was definitely the best thing to do.

"Ok, you tell me how to design it." I said once we had found a patch of flat land suitable for building an ice sled

"Got it, ok, so. How about you start with the flat thingies that the sled goes on, but make em slightly longer." She did her best to explain, and though it was a poor attempt, i understood and built her request. Once i was done both girls nodded at my handy work

"Now make the body, have the edges curved and then in the front have the top edge curved outward. Good good. Then make four rows of seats, not bench seats though, seats with backs... awesome. Next, make an area in the back for supplies. What else Rapunzel?

"Cup holders?" she offered, i added some cup holders

"How about you make an Arendellian flag so that people know we come in peace." Anna suggested, to which i created the flag of Arendelle on the back left of the sled.

"I think its perfect!" Rapunzel announced after a minute

"Just one more thing," i moved my hands in fluid motions, creating ice patterns on the sides, similar to those on the arms of my ice dress

"Now its perfect," Anna observed, Rapunzel nodded

* * *

**_No Ones POV_**

* * *

**July 7, 1845**

**9:18 AM**

**Outside the gates**

Sven, Eugene, Rapunzel, Elsa, and Anna are all gathered outside the castle gates, ready to go to see Kristof's family. Apparently for trolls its a custom to consult with grandpabi before making any big decisions. And apparently getting knighted is big enough. SO they are all packed and ready with the essentials, which consists mostly of food. Everyone is seated in the ice sled, which can seat three in each of its four rows. Anna and Elsa in the second row, Kristof and Olaf in the front row, and Eugene and Rapunzel in the third row. _Speaking of Kristof and Olaf, where are they?_

"Hey guys! Thanks again for all the gifts!" Kristof yells as if on cue. Behind him is Olaf who is currently wearing a safari hat and sunglasses. Both of which none of them have the slightest idea where he got them. And they can't help but laugh because he's lifting his straw suit case off the ground while moving as fast as his little legs can carry him. Which are no where near as fast as Kristof's long strides

"How are the hottest and coldest girls in the world doing?" (and no, I will not apologize for writing that)

He kissed Anna on the cheek and hurried in the sled, before tugging in Olaf. Who now was sipping on a straw out of a coconut? And they were off. The trip to the hollow where the trolls live would be about four hours, and they would stop to eat on the way.

"Yo Kristof, its been forever bro!" A voice yelled and a man came walking up and hugged Kristof

"Its good to see you Trav!" Kristof said excitedly

"You too man,"

"Ok, so this is my girlfriend and princess Anna of Arendelle, this is Queen Elsa of Arendelle, this is-"

"Woah Kris, you didn't tell me that the queen is such a babe."

"Excuse me?" Elsa said, putting a hand on her hip

"You know, we should probably get going," Kristof said nervously

"Sounds good," and Travis sat down right next to Elsa

* * *

**July 7, 1845**

**10:51 AM**

**The Woods**

"I heard that these forests are known for bandits and crooks and robbers." Travis commented randomly

"And you would know this how?" Elsa asked casually

"I was one of them."

"Oh, so your saying i could arrest you for stealing in my lands?"

"All day long."

"What are you guys blabbing about?" Eugene called over the wind

"Oh, Travis here was just giving us an exciting incite on his vast knowledge of these forests and his experience in the realm of thievery and deceit." Elsa answered

"Rawr."

* * *

**July 7, 1845**

**11:21 PM**

**Elsa's Room**

The queen collapsed on her bed and groaned inwardly. That was possibly one of the worst days ever. Between having to sit on the bumpy sled, to having travis hit on her to having the tells think they were getting married and then singing a whole song about it, then having travis call her honey or a babe the whole way back. Literally, in every sentence at least twice. SO basically Elsa just wanted to climb in bed and sleep for a few days. On the bright side, the trolls had been thrilled about Kris being knighted and grandpabi said yes. And she didn't even change before she was out like a candle under the covers.

* * *

**July 8, 1845**

**11:43 AM**

**Dress Room**

"Okay girls! Who wants to go first?" Gurda asked as the dress styling crew of five danced around her, getting everything in order

"How about you go first, Rapunzel?" Anna offers

"Are you sure?" Both sisters nod and all of them take a seat to discuss designs

"We will start with the design, so it will have a simple corset, in whatever color we decide, do you want it to have a collar or be v neck...?" Gurda starts

"I agree with the simple corset, could it just be the corset with no sleeves of collar?"

"Most certainly princess, now, what length do you want the dress to be?"

"Floor length please."

"Ok, now what color would you like?"

"What do you guys thing would look good on me?"

"Definitely purple, but you always wear that, how about a mint green?" Anna suggests

"Oooh, I like that!" Rapunzel agrees," can my dress be mint green?"

"Of course!" Gurda says

This process is repeated with Anna, who after about an hour has finally decided on a red simple corset knee length gown with no sleeves. It is much more grown up and sophisticated but since she will be presenting Kristof with his sword, the sign of a knew knight, she wants to look more graceful. And the dress is very flattering. It has very subtle stripes on the skirt, alternating from very dark to not as dark red. And then it was Elsa's turn. She ended up with a grey simple corset floor length gown, also with no sleeves. Once all of the girls were finished, they moved onto the shoes. Rapunzel got a pair of pearly white flats, Anna got a pair black flats, and Elsa got a pair of grey six inch heels. After that process they all went to choose jewelry. Elsa decided that she would want to where her knew necklace at the ball, but she got a simple bracelet as well. Anna chose just a black necklace with a small diamond in it, and Rapunzel didn't get anything. Last but not least, they had to chose a hairstyle. This was also quite a process, but finally Anna decided to have hers put similar to her coronation style, Rapunzel went with a french braid because her hair is much to long to be left down, and Elsa decided to leave her down.

As much as Elsa would love to be done, they still have to do the masks. This process proves the hardest...

* * *

**The Southern Isles**

**July 7, 1845**

**3:09 PM**

**Court Room**

Outside the window children frolicked happily in the grass on this sunny and amazing day. Inside the room, a gloomy silent tension hung in the already disturbed air. Nine of the twelve royal brothers of The Southern Isles are gathered around the large, round table. The informal meeting has not yet begun, and already you can feel the chill air of an argument brewing. King Terrance sits at what would be considered the head of the table, if it were not round, looks silently out the window, not sure what he's wiring for. Everyone is in attendance. The other three brothers left quite some time ago. Not from the meeting, but from the kingdom. It is not quite to an awkwardness in the air, more so of a hostile feeling. But the king doesn't want to wait for the feeling to turn to a reality, so he clears his throat. Jerking all of his younger siblings to attention.

"We gather today to discus the actions and wrong doings of Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. As we will also discuss his punishment. As I'm sure you all know, our very own will be going to Arendelle to try and mend our broken trust, but i would not be surprised if they still denied our requests. You may now state any information on Hans part."

"Why would you do this brother?" Alex, the third oldest asked

"It had to be done, queen Elsa is a tyrant and a witch." Hans stated plainly, not even looking at his brother, half of them gasped and the other half rolled their eyes

"Do not say such things about a queen. She has supplied her people with ample evidence that she wants nothing more than to protect them. It is little pests like you, seeking attention and power, that would say such arrogant facts without actually having a civil conversation with a person before deciding."

Hans huffed but didn't argue with his brother, and the silence once again started, while Terrance thought through a punishment for his younger brother.

"Alright brother," the king began," I here by banish you from the Southern Isles for twenty years, should anyone see you, you will be chased off or your banishment will be lengthened. Im sure Arendelle has banished you from their kingdom forever. Much like our trade agreement that has gone haywire. Should you chose to come back after the banishment years are up, you will be given a room in the castle. But you will never again hold your title as Prince Hans of the Southern Isles and will hold none of your previous power in any decisions involving our kingdom."

"Why don't you just have me executed!" Hans cried, his eyes had gotten increasingly wider throughout his brothers speech

"I cannot send my own kin to the gallows." Terrance spoke calmly,"guards, send him away and make sure he's guarded until he gets to the border. Take him to the east border. He is allowed to get his clothes and some money but not food or weapons."

Four gaurds stepped forward and grabbed Hans

"Please brother! No, no! I can change, give me a chance!" his anguished cries faded down the halls

* * *

**Unknown Location**

**July 7, 1845**

**9:01 PM**

**A large Room**

A man paces back and forth throughout his dark room. No light is provided except that of the rose. Which sits floating just off the podium. The man never takes his eyes off the rose. But his ears are keen on everything else. the clash of blades as men practice their sparring skills. The caw of a crow as it feeds. The scream of pain as a man is whipped. The howl of a wolf in the distance. The man welcomes these sounds with open arms. He can hear his shadows leaping from building to building. And then a new sound comes. That of a shadow approaching. The man smiles a black toothed grin and waits for his next victim. There is the sound of his door whooshing open and a man is thrown on the ground by one of his shadows.

The man has waited all day for someone to misbehave, and finally he gets another shadow. The man walks deliberately to the table and grabs one of his shot glasses, filled with anything but a shot. He hands it to the man on the floor. Who, under any other circumstance would look terrifying, is now trembling on the floor. The man holds out the glass, offering it to the other man. He takes it and downs the whole bottle. His whole body starts trembling and then cramping. And then he curls up into a little ball. Wishing he could scream but not being able to.

the serum, is a potion that allows another shadow to rip the shadow off of another person, in a process called the changing. Which is by far the most painful thing you can endure. The only man with the knowledge of how to make this medicine is the Shadow Keeper. Otherwise known as the man standing over the crumpled body grinner from ear to ear to ear a sinister grin. There are many shadow keepers in the world. Many people just don't know it.

The man nods to his shadow and it bends down. Fastening its claws to the dying mans shadow and pulling with all its crazy might. The mans shadow is ripped violently from his body. The man opens his mouth to scream in agonized pain, but he still can't. the skin has been ripped from his body on the side where the shadow was. He twitches violently and then stills. The knew shadow cackles along with its elder and they pick up the body to dispose of it. Once they are gone the man goes back to pacing. His army is nowhere near ready, and if it isn't by the time they need it to be. He'll have to bring in his good men a put them through the chaining. But thats a worst case scenario, the last thing the man wants is to be considered cruel.

The door is opened again., but the man who enters is not with a shadow and is not one of his own.

"This man came to the gates and requested to see you right away." One of his guards stated formally," should i send him away?"

"No, send him in." the man sits down behind his desk and waits for this requester to enter. he comes in right then

"Take a seat," the shadow keeper says

"Thanks, but I'd like to stand."

"How noble of you, now sit." he does," I hear you request me."

"More or less, I request a favor."

"A favor?"

"Yes."

"And what makes you think i will give you a favor?"

"It involves the assassination of one of your targets."

"Thanks very much, but i can handle myself."

"Are you sure?"

"Whats that supposed to mean?"

"You need more shadows, i have more shadows."

"Who are you?"

"You can call me Hans." the requester says and reaches out his hand," do we have a deal?"

The shadow keeper shakes...

* * *

**A Small providence on the edge of Arendelle**

**July 8, 1845**

**12:54 PM**

**Blacksmith shop **

The black sky provided no light to come into the small barn in which Joseph does all of his finest work. A starless knight where not even the moon can push its way through the thick twilight clouds. A night where you'd expect crime to run wild. A small candle does its best in illuminating the area, casting long shadows on the walls. Joseph isn't the slightest bit bothered by the wolves howling in the distant, begging for a midnight snack. A slow breeze blows through the open barn doors, a hazy mist flows through. Joseph holds his master piece into the light, even he can't help but admire the work. A sword only the finest of people could afford. Its shinny and pointed end could slice right through a dragon. He places it next to a very fine pair of winter gloves. He looks at the sword and freezes. A misplaced shadow reflects off the blade. Joseph grabs a knife and wheels around. Prepared to severe anyone who trespasses his turf.

"Drop the sword sir, I come only to propose an offer." A voice comes from the shadows, Joseph drops his hand but the blade stays firmly in his clutch

"No, I will not marry you."

The man in the shadows chuckles," you're a funny man. Ive heard great things about you're work."

"Which line of work would you be referring to?"

"The one where you use the swords you craft."

"Ah, then yes, I'm sure you have heard fine things."

"I have a request for you, but first, you do have an invitation to that ball in Arendelle? No?" Joseph recognizes a very distinct Russian accent

"I do, what of it?"

"Very good. I want you to-"

"What makes you think i will do this job?"

The man smiles, and even though Joseph can't see his face, he knows its an evil one. He smacks a big wad of cash on the table. Joseph grabs a cloth and wipes his hands off.

"What can i do for you?" Joseph asks

"I want the queen dead. I don't care how you do it, and i don't care how long it takes. I want her dead."

"How will you know when I've done the deed?"

"i'll know." the man turns to leave

"Who am i working for."

"Does it matter?"

"Yes."

"Then Hans."

"That is not your name." Josephs eyes narrow

"No, but its who your doing the job for."

"So what are you, some kind of an assistant?"

The man shrugs," more or less."

"I want your name."

"All you'll ever know me as is The Shadow Keeper." he didn't turn to leave, he didn't run into the shadows. He just disappeared, right into thin air

Joseph didn't know what he'd just seen, but he swore in the distance, he could hear a faint cackle...


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**The Masked Man**

* * *

**Disclaimer: Frozen is not mine...**

* * *

"At least one thing was consistent about her life: it just kept on getting more complicated."

-Scott Westerfeld; Pretties

* * *

**Previously:**

The man smiles, and even though Joseph can't see his face, he knows its an evil one. He smacks a big wad of cash on the table. Joseph grabs a cloth and wipes his hands off.

"What can i do for you?" Joseph asks

"I want the queen dead. I don't care how you do it, and i don't care how long it takes. I want her dead."

"How will you know when I've done the deed?"

"i'll know." the man turns to leave

"Who am i working for."

"Does it matter?"

"Yes."

"Then Hans."

* * *

**July 9, 1845**

**10:34 AM**

**Elsa's Office**

A figure moved past the door.

"Gurda, is that you?" Elsa called

"Yes your majesty. Is there anything i can do for you?"

"Could you fetch Anders and send him in here?"

"Certainly," she bowed her head and went to find Anders

**5 minutes later...**

"You rang?" Anders called from the door

"Yes, how do you feel about baby sitting?"

"Your majesty, i understand that Anna is childish, but perhaps stricter rules or-"

"Not Anna! Olaf!"

"Oh well, i don't really want to. So i respectfully decline." he said with not so much respect in his tone

Elsa sighed," Okay, i suppose you could always go muck stalls..."

"Oh no! You know what, I've changed my mind. Where is the little guy?"

"Um, I'm not actually sure..."

* * *

**July 9, 1845**

**11:07 AM**

**The Ballroom**

"No no no! That can't go there!" Anna rushed over to a servant

"For the tenth time, the red wine goes over here!" Rapunzel says, exasperated

"No, thats the exit!"

"The flowers are supposed to be red... no they won't do!"

"Since when did we have a table there! Theres a chart people!"

"What are you doing? I told you to go over the guest list!"

That was basically a summary of the girls morning. They had told people what to do over and over, but they simply didn't get it.

"Is it always like this?" Rapunzel asked

"I don't know, last time we had a party was Elsa's coronation and i was singing while they were decorating." Anna replied just before they were crowded by more servants asking what to do. The party would start in seven hours and they would need about three to get ready. At this rate, there wouldn't even be a party. That was when Elsa came in.

"Oh thank god!" both girls rushed up to the queen."Help us!"

"Everybody stop what your doing and form a line in front of me!" Elsa yelled without hesitation, about 40 people lined up. Now that the were looking at it without people running around, it didn't look half bad. The tables were all set up as well as most the decorations," You five get the vases and put one on each table. You ten get chairs and put 10 around each table." (there are 15 tables)" You five put up the curtains on the stage, you two put a napkin and silver wear at each spot, The ten of you make sure that the castle doesn't have a speck of dust anywhere, you five can get twelve chairs and set them up properly for the orchestra. And you eight finish setting up the food on the buffet tables. Meet in the hallway at 5:30 dressed and ready to go and i will tell you your jobs. The entire staff did as they were told.

Now that that was done Elsa headed back to her office.

* * *

**July 9, 1845**

**2:12 PM**

**The dinning room**

"Watch out for... that!" and "Good lord. Well, we have more of those!" Is the words Anders had shouted most this afternoon. Once he had found Olaf, the tiny snowman had dragged him to the dinning room, where the butler was now running beside the table.

"The pedals!" Anders cried loudly as Olaf rolled out of control down the table,"Use your feet!"

"Um," Olaf looked down," i don't think i have any feet." this fact seemed to concern him more then the fact that the table was coming to an end

Anders violently cursed his life while Olaf steered directly over the more expensive china.

**10 minutes later...**

"Anders?" Olaf said while the angry butler dragged him down the hall," Whats a bitch?"

"Its a bad word, don't say it." he growled

Olaf seemed unconcerned by Anders' hostile voice," then how come you said it?"

"Because I'm an adult."

"I'm an adult too!" Olaf cried in defense

"Your barely three months old."

"Touche."

By now they were by Elsa's office.

"Go play Olaf."

"You're not coming?"

"I'm done playing for the day."

"Okay!" and the snowman walked away chanting 'bitch bitch bitch' under his breath

Anders entered Elsa's office

"Where'd he learnt hat word?" elsa asked

"I have no idea, anyway. That creature is insane."

"Don't I know it, but you'll have to babysit him tonight. We can't have a talking snowman wandering the halls calling everyone a bitch during the party."

Anders couldn't argue with that one...

* * *

**July 9, 1845**

**5:20 PM**

**Elsa's Room**

The queen looked at herself in the mirror, biting her lip. It had become a nervous habit, lip biting. But tonight she didn't bother to stop herself, nobody was around, nobody would see. Normally, Elsa wouldn't allow little excuses that would allow a bad habit to grow. No matter how insignificant. She just bit her lip harder. She knows exactly what they expect. Exactly what they want and will most likely get. They want Elsa to chose someone that will help the kingdom, apparently enough to invite a royal from one of her least favorite kingdoms to a ball. She understands Anna's motives, she just wants her older sister to be happy and have true love. What Anna still doesn't understand is that the world is a bad place. If you're not constantly checking over your shoulder and thinking twice. You'll get lost in it. But Elsa wouldn't take that innocence from her sibling for anything. Elsa wished she could have that childish nature more often than not. But being the queen didn't really allow time for play.

Elsa flattened her dress self consciously, and sighed. _I'm sure I look great. _Her dark grey gown did contrast nicely with her blonde hair. And of course she has nothing to worry about, she looks stunning. But try and convince her that. The queen grabbed her mask off the vanity and stole one last glance in the mirror before becoming just another person, at least to the crowd. The upside of a masquerade ball: no one knows she's the queen until she tells them. Or until half way through when shell go up on stage and show herself to the entire audience. Though there was an annoying feeling in the pit of her stomach. Elsa went with nervousness, she couldn't help but feel a tiny bit alive as she saw her knew self. The pale girl with the platinum blonde hair The normal girl with the grey dress and stunning mask. Her mask was also grey, covering around her eyes and over her nose. They'd requested that you have one that fastens around your head, so that you can't take it off. Even the staff will be wearing masks, granted that they would all be identical. The mask has sparkles around the eyes and, though it is plain, is as stunning as her dress. By now, the staff will be at the hallway designated for the pre ball meeting. So the queen will be there too.

* * *

**July 9, 1845**

**5:30**

**The Hallway**

When Elsa arrived, the entire staff was standing in a line, masks and all. Two girls stood across from them, Rapunzel and Anna, chatting excitedly as Kristof, who is standing next to them fiddles with his tie. Obviously annoyed. Anna chuckles and spins around, standing on her tippy toes to fix Kristof's tie. Elsa smiles a little and walks per to join them. Rapunzel has on her mint green dress and a mask that Elsa imagines is white, but you can't really see because it is covered in rainbow sparkles. It looks girly and childish, with just the right amount of class, just like Rapunzel. Anna stands beside her in her red knee length dress, wore black gloves. Elsa noticed that she was wearing her hair in a very high and big bun, not the planned hairstyle. The queen personally loved it, it made her look more regal. Anna's mask is black, she would look very formal, not Anna fun formal, except that the mask has colorful feathers shooting out the top edges and rainbow sparkles brimming the eye holes. She looks almost catlike, its very flattering. By now Elsa is standing by them and gets right down to business.

"You ten men disperse and station at each door that the guests will have to come through to get to this room. You two go to the front door and hang up the coats as people come in. You three can man the three buffet tables. The ten of you can grab trays and walk around serving people. You ten can serve drinks. And the five of you can open carriage doors as people arrive." Elsa said and dismissed them all to there posts. Then the four of them went up to the study. Once they get there Elsa dismissed herself, deciding to make sure Anders has the whole babysitting Olaf thing under control.

* * *

**July 9, 1845**

**5:45**

**The Library**

"Anders?" Elsa asks upon entering the library, she has pinpointed Olaf's body at one end of the room. It keeps running into a wall, falling down, getting up, and running into the wall again," wheres his head?"

Anders looks up from his book, he's wearing tiny little spectacles and says, rather smugly," the trunk. I locked it in the trunk."

"Hi Elsa!" Olaf's voice is muffled," I would give you a warm hug but my friend Anders locked me in here! Isn't he just the nicest person you ever met!?"

"Yeah!" she directs the next sentence to Anders, who is once again reading," when i told you to baby sit him, this is not what i had in mind."

"Well, i tried babysitting him, but then he made a huge mess in the kitchen."

"I was just getting a snack!" he cried innocently

"There was a horse in there!" Anders said to Olaf

"I couldn't find a stool, and its your fault!"

"My fault?!"

"Yes, if you had just gotten me a snack when i was hungry..."

"Your made of snow, you don't need food!"

"Anders? I just came to tell you that the ball is starting soon, so keep an eye on Olafs body, please"

* * *

**July 9, 1845**

**6:13 PM**

**The ballroom**

The party was in full swing. Nobody dared to be late to a party unless they didn't want to get a drink. And most people were all about the drinks. So by the time the four of them entered, everybody had arrived and were talking and introducing themselves to other people. Elsa had expected to introduce her self about halfway through, but right when she entered they were ushered onstage, all except for Kristof.

"Now introducing, Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" Elsa entered gracefully," Princess Anna of Arendelle," Anna entered... in her own way," And Princess Rapunzel of Corona!" Rapunzel entered like Anna. The audience applauded and the party once again started, but this time people came up to her.

"Your majesty," they would say," would you like to dance?" to which she would say no and Anna and Rapunzel would glare at her. About fifteen had come up to her, and only one she remembered. But not in a good way. He was creepy and had a scar that appeared on both sides after his mask ended. That wasn't as creepy as the fact that there was a red line on the mask where the scar would be on his face. She believed his name to be Lance. He gave her the creeps and when she said no to dancing with him the glaring princesses just sighed in relief. They all had drinks in there hands and were listening to a calm song when the music strated upbeat and the tables were cleared out the way for square dancing. Anna rushed away with her boyfriend in tow. Rapunzel had just found Eugene, who was sipping his wine and talking to the scary looking dude. Rapunzel brought him over to Elsa and apologized in advance for any stupid thing he would say throughout the night. Before taking his wine and putting it down on the table. Rapunzel might be childish, but her husband is a whole other story.

They watched from the sidelines as the crowd paired up and started dancing along. The non dancers cheered and raised their glasses, thoroughly enjoying the entertainment. The queen briefly wondered why Rapunzel hadn't taken Eugene to dance before realizing that he was telling some stories of his adventures as Flynn a Rider. Rapunzel had once told her that you don't interrupt Eugene while he's telling a story. His wife just nodded and smiled, not caring in the slightest that she could be dancIng. She swayed along with the happy song, her shoulder length hair moving along with her, only slightly behind. The queen redirected her attention to her sister and her boyfriend. Elsa didn't doubt that Kristof would be able to dance, but just when he would regain his balance Anna would grab his hand and spin him around like a rag doll. The whole thing was wildly entertaining, and when they came back Kristof was looking something like Anna after dancing with the duke of Westleton.

"That was fun! Elsa, you should dance!"

"Nice try Anna, but i don't dance."

"Fiinnneeaaahh! What about you Rapunzel?"

"I would if i had someone to dance with,"

"What are you talking about silly?" Eugenes seemed to be done with his story," Ill dance with you."

"Okay," she grabbed Eugene's had and took him to the dance floor, Kristof decided to take a break while Anna headed back for a round two.

Kristof and Elsa nodded as Eugene, Anna and Rapuzel took off through the crowd and into the dancing circle, they started twirling and spinning and soon enough everyone was dancing with everyone. Laughing and clapping as they made fools of themselves, but still having fun. Elsa took another sip and silently prayed that the two of them wouldn't get everyone too wryled up when a man grinning a lopsided grin came up to her. He wasn't very tall, but still a good few inches over Elsa, he wore a black tux and a green plain mask.

"May i have this dance?" he asked, Elsa was about to say it was too upbeat for her when she noticed the band slow down the song. _great timing __guys. _She though sarcastically

"I don't really dance."

"Nonesense, I'm sure you're great."

"No really, I've never danced."

"Im sure you'll be great. Just follow my lead."

"Um, if you insist." he smiled like a little kid on christmas and led Elsa to the dance floor, she was hoping against hope that Anna wouldn't see her

The man led her to the very middle of the dance floor and easily put his hand on her waist. She blushed and put her head down, though she couldn't see him, she was sure he was smiling again. They danced in silence for quite some time. Elsa made sure that they didn't drift too close and even more sure that she didn't step on him at all. She was insanely aware of everybody casting glances at them and smiling.

"This is so embarrassing," she eventually whispered

"Aw, come on, you're hurting my feelings."

"Not about you, about dancing with you."

"Yeah ok, that totally makes it better." he said sarcastically

"Sorry, Ive just never danced before."

"Well, i don't think anyone can tell."

Elsa bushed at the compliment and cursed herself for it.

"I didn't get you're name," she tried to cover for it

"Thats not important." he grinned again, she wasn't phased

"You know my name," she fired back

"Why don't we go out on the balcony." he suggested, already moving toward it

"Don't think you can get off that easy by taking me away from the dreaded dance floor!" he chuckled and they reached the porch

Both of them stared off at the fjord for a while. It was the perfect night, black as black can get. Ever star in the sky shimmering its brightest, shinning brightly off the crystal waters. The bay was crowded by ships swaying lightly from the slight breeze, which set off the July heat but didn't make it cold. the mountains loomed in the distance and made Elsa feel surrounded and safe, as they always had. The village was empty as everyone was inside the castle, but it didn't feel empty. It felt as though it were buzzing with energy as she stood next to this man. _Wait,_ what? She once again scolded herself. But then backfired._ But, he is you're type. Not too complicated, blue eyes, cute smile, looks pretty buff, not too tall, handsome in a royal way, clean cut. Whats not to like? _Then she reversed again. _Elsa, you just met this man and you don't know his name or where he's from. _She felt suddenly self conscious and looked over at the man. He was starring at her, she averted her eyes quickly and he didn't even flinch.

"You're beautiful." he suddenly said, and Elsa blushed so hard she thought anyone one the other side of the kingdom could see. _God dammit Elsa! What is wrong with you._

"uh, um, thanks." she stuttered, beyond embarrassed

"Don't be embarrassed, its true." he said in all seriousness

She still refused to meet his playful, yet serious gaze. They stood in silence for a minute. Then she moved her head to face him, and his eyes were right there. The queen gazed into them for a second that could've easily passed for an eternity. His blue eyes were a sea so deep that she got lost in them instantly. But she was very much aware of his even

breath. And the fact that he was moving closer. _Oh my god he's moving closer! Wait!_ Terror plunged through her, enough to brea the spell. _He's moving closer!_ She tilted her head away.

"I, um-uh... excuse me."

"Queen Elsa, wait!" but she was already lost in the crowd

The queen found her sister and her crowd easily. they were all talking very loudly. Eugene looked like he would fall asleep any second, siting next to Rapunzel, who had her elbows on the table, her chin resting on them. Her huge eyes were focused on Anna, who was the only standing one.

"And then Marshmallow shook Olaf off his leg and through him over the cliff! Then he roared really loud!" she mimicked the roar an clomped around, her arms spread out to make her look bigger

Kristof was rolling his eyes at his girlfriend and her crazy antics. Elsa sat down as invisibly as possible, Anna stopped her story and practically shouted," Did he kiss you?!"

"Anna!" she hissed, as half the crowd looked there way, they both winced," oh my gods!"

"Sorry, but i bet he did!" both the girls were at her side now, begging for the details

"Well, he... tried."

"Tried!" the both cried so loud that everybody turned to them, they all winced and the girls covered there mouths

"I just met him for heavens sake!"

They both narrowed there eyes and demanded to meet him.

"I dont know where he is."

"You. Don't. Know." they both said as if they couldn't understand it

"Hey Joseph! I knew you'd make it!" Kristof suddenly jumped up and shook hands with a man. He was tall and tan and muscular, had striking green eyes, and looked very tough and serious, and was not her type at all. But Elsa still had to remind herself to breath. He wore a black suit that was defiantly custom. She wondered how he'd gotten that because he clearly wasn't royal. She decided he must have made it himself. His mask was black, just black. Nothing about it, and that made Elsa curious. _He's mysterious._

"Okay guys, this is my friend Joseph, i invited him. He's an old friend of mine and is the best blacksmith you'll ever meet. I paid him to make you a gift."

"I would've done it for free, Kris." The man smiled and clapped Kristof on the back, not a royal gesture, but Kristof just smiled and nodded," i made you these." he handed Kristof a pair of finely made and hand sown gloves

"Joe, i told you not to make me anything."

"I know, I know," Joseph put his hands up," but i heard tonight is a big event and it felt wrong not to give my ole friend a gift."

"Well thanks, but i can't just let you give me these, surely you could sell them for a lot."

"I could, but i would only give you the finest, man." he didn't wait for Kristof to reply," And this, your majesty, is for you." he knelt down and placed a sword in her hands as Elsa outstretched them.

"Oh my goodness, this is without a doubt the finest sword I've ever seen. I cannot except this, its much to nice."

"Thats why Im giving it to you."

_Dont blush, dont blush, dont blush_

_I hate you._

"Thank you, its really amazing." she beckoned over a servant," please take this to my office and put it on my desk." the servant nodded and rushed away

Joseph didn't ask her to dance, he didn't ask her if she wanted to talk, he didn't say goodbye. The man just walked away. Elsa had been turing men away the whole night, and somehow the one man that doesn't bother with her, is the one that she wishes would. But the queen only thinks about that for the briefest second, her thoughts move back to the man she left on the balcony. She wishes she hadn't just left him there. So the queen goes back to the balcony, and sure enough, there he is. he's staring off into the night sky, like its the most interesting thing he's ever seen. When he hears her he turns around and smiles again. He searches her face for any emotion, but the queen is careful to keep her face void of such weakness. He must've seen something reassuring because he smiles wider and waves her over.

"Im really sorry about before, its just that, well you know, I've, well, um..." he trailed off

Elsa touched his shoulder gently," its ok, Ill try and be less irresistible from this point on."

"Please do." she chuckles at him playing along with her facade

And its silent again. Now its about 12:00 and the crickets are making a sweet son in the night as the fireflies fly lazily around them. the full moon looms next to them, the water provides a soft chorus to the crickets beat. Its the perfect environment for a first kiss. And Elsa wishes that she would kiss him. But she won't. It doesn't feel right, so she doesn't. Inside, it's starting to get quitter and the music has stopped. The party will be over in about an hour. Elsa can only hope that Anna and Kristof haven't left, forgetting completely about the knighting ceremony. Soon, I'll have to do that- she thinks.

Inside the ballroom, Joseph is skirting the edges of the room. Watching as the crowd quiets down but know one leaves. The orchestra members put down their instruments and join in the party, talking and laughing with the other guests. He is acutely aware of Elsa's location, and every half second he checks to make sure she's still visible through the open porch doors. He brushes his hand swiftly against his hidden holster. The gun is loaded and ready for firing. _The second she walks through those doors shell be blown to high heaven._ Nobody is even close to suspecting anything about his plans. Of course there not. He's a protectional and nobody can trace the hits back to him. He'll shoot his target, and then disappear. Nobody'll know what happened and it'll be dismissed as a random act of treason. Easy peasy lemon squeezey.

Suddenly, somebody grabs hold of his elbow. He spins around, prepared to strike, but the man steps back non threateningly.

"Are you Joseph?"

"It depends, who are you?"

"Riley."

"So, am i supposed to know you?"

"No, I'm just checking up on you, you know, for Hans."

"Thats creepy."

"Its protocol."

"How? you making sure i haven't baled?"

"No, I'm just checking on you're plan."

"Oh, well in that case, my plan is fine."

"Ha_ ha._ I meant what is you're plan."

"If you can check up on me now, you can check up on me afterward." Joseph cast anotherglance out the door, the queen was still there

"I will."

"Good, I'll meet you at the bar afterward."

Riley nodded and moved to the table, shoving a cupcake into his mouth.

Back on the porch, Elsa and the man were just getting ready to go in for the ceremony.

"You need to tell me you're name."

"PrinceHenryoftheSouthernIsles." he closed his eyes, and by the time he opened them, she was gone

Elsa tried to clear her head as she moved to the stage, but she failed miserably, so she just ignored her thoughts. All three girls were introduced.

"And next we have Kristof Bjorman." the man announed

He came onto the stage looking surprisingly proper. A servant handed Elsa the sword, she took it gracefully. Kristof moved front of her and the queen held out the sword. Kristof titled his head forward. Elsa tapped his head and then both his shoulders lightly with the sword and then handed it to him.

"I know pronounce you Sir Kristof Bjorman of Arendelle!" Her voice rang out over the crowd before there was the distinct crack of a bullet leaving the gun and Elsa fell to her knees.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Of the Southern Isles**

* * *

**Disclaimer: Frozen is not mine**

* * *

"We're here, and then we're gone, and its not about the time we're here, but what we do with the time"

-Rick Yancey; The 5th Wave

* * *

**Previously:**

"Sir Bjor-" a gunshot went off mid sentence, Anna screamed bloody hell...

* * *

**July 9, 1845**

**1:13 AM**

**The Bar**

Joseph wove through the crowd of fleeing people with ease. Not bothering to act scared out of his wits. He probably should, but knowing its over, even for one night, is enough to relax you completely. His face stayed hard and concentrated as he made his way into the bar. Which was surprisingly crowded for a night like this. A man sat on a stool playing the harmonica, three men were giving each other hostile glares. A sure sign that a fight would be coming. A couple men and women wandered around from table to table. A couple men were playing poker in one corner, laughing though some of them were surely knee deep in dept. The bar tenders were flirt g it up with some sober men, and in the very back corner, near a shaft of pale moonlight, sat the man Joseph knew as Riley.

"What the hell was that?" Riley asked when Joseph sat down, he kept his voice quiet as not to draw too much attention

"I was doing my job." Joseph shrugged indifferently

"That was not the job."

"Its how i do my job. Watch and wait. Your boss wanted the queen dead. The queen will be dead."

"She was alive last i checked."

"Well look again in about five months."

Riley raised his eyebrows, certainly surprised that Joseph was going to take so long to do the job. But the man was notorious for being random and untraceable. Responsible for at least a dozen murders, of course he wasn't a suspect in any of the cases. Joseph left the bar without paying for his drink, heading back to the castle. In most cases Kristof wouldn't mind Joseph just leaving. But the Joseph Kristof knows is the one that wouldn't just leave after something like that. Not the Joseph that just shot the queen, nobody really knows that Joseph. Or why he is what he is. Being a murderer does not make you a bad person, its your reason for being a murderer. Joseph is a dependable and honest man who does what he needs to do not only to get the job back but for revenge.

The gates were still flooding over with people rushing to escape the havoc in the ball room. So he slipped in without trouble at all, dropping his gun silently into a vase just incase someone were to pat him down. By the time he got to the room nobody had looked twice. The scene in the ballroom was nothing that you wouldn't expect. Aside from the headless snowman wondering around. Kristof was standing with Anna, who was crying, and Rapunzel who was still in shock, who was next to Eugene, who was fast asleep. Joseph didn't doubt the poor guy had missed the whole event. A few servants were cleaning up some broken glass. The doctor, he assumed, was kneeling down next to Elsa. Also kneeling down next to her was a man, or prince, who Joseph recognized as the man on the porch. _The more the merrier. _His plan was rolling out as smooth as possible. Everyone had seen the attack and would take it as a warning. Elsa would be fragile and trusting of anyone in the castle, so he would be able to bond with her some and gain her trust. Until he would repeat tonights scene, except this time, he wouldn't miss.

Well, he hadn't exactly missed this time, but he hadn't killed her. He'd put a bullet in her hip, and though it would burn like hell and need stitches, she'd be walking by tomorrow. Joseph walked over to where the queen lay crumbled on the ground. The doctor was obviously a newbie because he was fumbling around while writing stuff on a notepad instead of stopping the bleeding.

"Wheres the real doctor?" Joseph asked while kneeling down

"He is with his sister in the western providence, about six hours away." the boy replied nervously

"So do you know how to fix this?" Joseph already knew the answer

"N-not exactly I-"

"Go easy on him Joseph," Elsa croaked between her unsteady breaths

"I can handle this from here." Joseph said, the boy looked confused and then nodded. Everyone had gathered in a loose circle to see what was going on," the bullet is from a small flintlock, not too close range, Id say about fifty feet. Which would make you think it was professional, but then they wouldn't of missed. The bullet is a thirty caliber, it-"

"What do you mean wouldn't of missed?! I have a fucking bullet in my side!" she was panting and then wincing

"I mean 'wouldn't of missed' because if he hadn't, you'd be dead." that shut her up," now, Im gonna need a knife, this is gonna hurt real bad. But stay very still or you'll probably die." Her eyes widened but she didn't move a muscle, works like a charm every time. Joseph grabbed the knife and pressed it against the skin about an inch from the bullet. He broke the skin and drew a cut over the wound and an inch on the other side.

"Do you have any tweezers or something?" he asked and they handed him a pair," it is more imperative that you don't move now." he took a deep breath and put the tweeters into the cut. He found the bullet easily, it wasn't very deep. He grabbed onto it and started to pull. He didn't get it the first time but he did the second. After that was done he stitched her up and told her to keep laying there.

"How do you know how to do that?" she asked after a minute

"Ive done it before, on myself."

She chuckled a little and then winced in pain.

"Shouldn't we move her?" Anna finally asked, her anger barely hidden

"Well, we can, but it'll hurt. If you want us to move you we can."

"I think id like to go to my bed anyways."

"If you insist." He sighed," can you three grab that table and carry it over here?"

He started to pick her up

"What are you doing?" she wondered

"Im gonna put you on the table."

"Is that necessa-?"

"Yes."

* * *

**July 10, 1845**

**3:42 PM**

**Elsa's room**

"Henry, go away." Elsa demanded, folding her arms stubbornly

"Your moody."

"No, your a pain in the ass."

As soon as Elsa woke up the next morning, she saw Henry. She was extremely mad at him for being prince of the Southern isles, and even more mad that he hadn't told her and she'd spent the whole night falling for him. The queen had been telling him to leave repeatedly to no avail. She would've made him leave except that she couldn't walk quite yet. Well, Joseph said she could, but he struck her as the kind to deal with the pain. And Elsa didn't feel like working. So until she did, she couldn't walk.

"Admit it, you like me, and your irritated that we can't make out right now because you were shot"

"In your dreams."

"Actually, in my dreams your never irritated, in my dreams you just join in- mmmmm," she threw a snowball into his open mouth

"Cold cold cold!" he said before glaring at her, wiping the slosh off his tongue

There was a knock on the door.

"Are you two making out? Or can i come in?" Joseph called

"Tell him to stop that," Henry said

"Like that'll help. And yes, you can come in!" he did

"I need to do my work, can i get up." Elsa suddenly wanted to do work to get away from the temptation of Henry

"I told you you could get up hours ago." Joseph rolled his eyes

"Yeah yeah, would you help me up?"

"You have to start practicing if you want to be walking around like normal."

"Your an ass too." Elsa said to Joseph as she got up and limped to the door, both of them started to follow.

"Both of you sit, and stay." she commanded

"Could you at least crack the window?" she heard Joseph call as she made her way slowly to the office

The days following the shooting were full of doctors appointments, a ton of work, crazy snowmen, deranged princesses, and extremely annoying men. Henry was annoying because he is from the Southern Isles and follows her around everywhere. Joseph is annoying because he only checks in on her once and a while and is completely adorable like all the time. It mostly rained so everyone was confined to the castle while it raged outside. Lightening would strike and shake the very walls of the castle. Olaf mostly freaked out during those days, wondering what was going on and why there was a light in the sky. Much like he reacted after seeing his first firefly. though nobody seemed particularly bored. Anna had Rapunzel, Kristof had Joseph, Olaf had Anders, Elsa apparently had Henry. So it wasn't exactly worse case scenario. Eventually Elsa managed to get away from Henry, and guess who she found, none other then the one and only Joseph.

"How come you don't seem that interested in my company?" Elsa asked him while he washed his hands off

"Not used to being turned down i assume."

"Assume whatever you want. I was talking about why you don't wanna be friends."

"I never said I didn't want to be friends."

"And you never didn't."

"You're right. I think its best if we aren't friends."

"And whys that?"

"Because you haven't the slightest idea of anything about me." and for the first time Elsa saw a flash of red in his kind brown eyes

"I..." she began but trailed off, _this is perfect, he thinks. _If she's like any other girl now she'll just seek his company more. Drawing her closer to him through the sheer idea in her mind that its not a good idea. Classic good girl meets bad boy.

"It's very kind of you to offer me a place to stay, but i think i should grab my stuff and get going. Since you seem to be fine now."

"What if something happens?" she asked," you know, with the wound. And its a disaster out there, I insist you stay."

"I dont-"

"Too bad. Queens orders, and since I'm the queen..."

"Your starting to sound like Anna."

"Im insulted," Elsa smirked and Joseph had this strange feeling in his stomach.

"Im still gonna stay out of your hair. And besides, it looks like your content with having Henry as a friend."

"He's annoying." she folded her arms stubbornly

"Thats just your cover, you like him."

"Come on, don't tell me you think your a love whisperer like Kristof."

"I happen to have met his family once or twice."

"Shut up," she threw a snowball playfully at him," and i don't like him."

"Whatever you say your majesty." he bowed in mock respect," didn't he propose."

"Over a letter, if that even counts." she scoffed

"Oh it counts, trust me." he got an ice cold glare from Elsa and wisely decided to change the subject, he opened his mouth to say something when three men in fancy suits walked in purposefully.

"Your majesty." one said while unrolling a parchment," I would just like you to read this paper declaring Arendelle and the Southern Isles trading agreement as no longer legal and Arendelle will not be sending or receiving anything from the country."

"Very well, oh and, do we have anything on the shooter?" Elsa placed the roll of paper on her desk

"We have some possible suspects. A man was seen leaving the building before anyone else. Another was wearing a mask that conveniently covered his whole face and was black. And the last is a girl who people reported snooping around the exits-"

"Did you see her outfit? Wheres she gonna hide a gun?" the third man with short black hair asked

"Well if I had to guess..." the queen glared at Joseph again," thats rhetorical."

"So basically we got nothing." Elsa announced the obvious," great."

"Its not likely we will find the guy. I mean, if you had just shot the queen would you stick around? That wold just be poor training." Though he didn't say so Joseph was a little bit offended by the mans assumption. Poor training, as if.

"Ok, you might as well call off the investigation. No need wasting useful men on a useless cause."

"As you wish." they all turned to leave

"Also, I want a gun." when she received bewildered looks from the four men she quickly amended," you know, for protection."

"Ok, we will put it on your calendar to train you to use a gun."

"Oh, that won't be necessary. I learned a few things while i was in my room all those years."

"Like what?" one of the men asked

"Well, other then being a sharp shooter, i am a black belt in karate, i can recite the magna carte, and i also can speak Russian. Sometimes i go to a bar outside Arendelle and pretend to be Muscovite." she received a weird glacne from Joseph

"What?"

"Thats kinda hot."

* * *

**July 10, 1845**

**4:00 PM**

**Hallway**

"Im wondering," Joseph began," how did you find the time to go to a bar?"

"It was mostly in the middle of the night."

"Ooo, a bad girl. How many times?"

"Are you seriously asking for my number?"

"You tell me yours I'll tell you mine."

"Men, you all wanna know but you don't wanna know." and she walked away

* * *

**July 15, 1845**

**12:53 PM**

**A courtyard**

The shadow keeper pondered the significance of the latest buzz in his training camp. News had been spreading that an infamy would be staged to take over control of the establishment. Obliviously- he agreed- it is very important to find out if this is just some gossip or an event that could take place. Though they wouldn't win, you can't have men around thinking they can just question the authority of the shadow keeper. Not in a classy business such as his. He was still thinking about this when he decided to call a meeting. The shadow smiled widely and raced off with menacing speed to gather the troops. He walked out with measured paces to the courtyard, where everyone stood with flawless posture. The midnight sky cast an eerie glow on the faces of his hardest men. None of them smiled, their faces were pure determination of the one thing that kept them in this fear chamber: their goal. His confidence was reinstalled when he saw the fear that they tried futilely to mask. Altogether the shadow keeper had about seventy men, and about twenty shadows.

The houses loomed in the background and the wolves howled in the forest. Effectively adding a horror story feel to the setting. He scanned the crowd with a gaze that carried such ease that the mens skin started to crawl. Bowing down to his intense glare they waited for him to address them. the shadow keeper took his time. Noting which of the men did not hold his gas, or shifted subtly on his feet, noting each and everyone with apt senses. the shadow keeper was a man of habit, and he exercised his one and only ritual, taking a minute to honor those shadow keepers before him. Men who did not chose, but were chosen. Then, after his brief moment of reverence, his crimson eyes landed on a man in the front row. A man with red hair and a barely withheld sinister grin.

When Hans decided that enough was enough, he stepped out of line. A gesture that showed great disrespect, and had never before been done. The men audibly gasped as they watched Hans approach the shadow keeper without any stall.

"Step back in line sir." the shadow keeper said to Hans, who looked like he was about to reject but thought better of it," we will meet in my chambers afterward."

He nodded and stepped back into the tight formation.

"It has come to my attention that some men are un loyal in their following me. I would like to give each of you men a chance to turn yourselves in and be unharmed, but move to the bottom of the ranks. A quite generous offer, some have less to work with." there was a brief silence before two men stepped forward and bowed their heads ashamedly, the shadow keeper addressed them each by name and told them their knew standings, before they moved back into formation. He mulled through the thoughts of everybody and found only three guilty people. To which were dragged off by the shadows.

By the time he retired to his room, hans was waiting.

"I see you've made yourself at home."

"This is my home now."

"Yes, is that all you have to say because i have better things to do with my time."

"I am well aware, and no, that is not all. I was just wondering about our little agreement."

"my contract killer has not yet done the job. He has decided it best to build a relationship with the girl before killing her."

"I see, then you shall have to wait for your extra shadow reinforcements."

"And i shall."

"You don't want to get some early?"

"You are in no position to bargain here hans."

"No, no, your right. I will leave you be now."

* * *

**July 15, 1845**

**4:30 PM**

**Elsa's office**

Elsa sat down in her office chair, attar with herself, trying to decide weather or not to do work. The answer was obvious, but the last thing she wants to do is have to read through more trade offers and complaints. As normal as everything might seem, the queen was getting complaints aplenty about how her eternal winter had killed every bodies crops, or caused damage to their houses. Obviously Elsa can't do anything about that, its like they are just writing these to annoy her. Don't get her wrong, Elsa knows she deserves it, but it wouldn't kill them to be a little kinder. She was in the process of dipping her quill in the ink when she saw half of Anna's face, and then half of Rapunzel's face appear of the left side of the door. When she looked up they'd disappear and then when she looked down they'd appear again.

"What is it girls?" Elsa slapped the quill down and made a huge mark of ink on the envelope, adding to her exasperation. Today Elsa was in a relatively good mood, considering Henry was finally leaving her alone. He had gone off for the day to buy a knew suit, a more fancy one. And Olaf was visiting his family in the mountains. Elsa didn't feel like asking how considering he doesn't actually have a dictionary. The queen should be able to say that she doesn't have to worry about Sven because he isn't allowed in the castle. But nobody cares anyways.

"Oh, Elsa, we were just passing through." Anna waved her hand sheepishly

"Mhmm, what do you want?"

"Well, we've been thinking, and you know, since you've missed all of Anna's birthdays, and she's totally forgiven you, but we think it' only fair if you give her a super ultra mega gift for missing all those birthdays." Rapunzel announced

"You do realize it's not even your birthday."

"No better time than the present." she shrugged, the smile on her face plain

"Ok, so i assume you already know what you want."

"Yup, I want a dog!"

"A dog? You already have Olaf."

"Yeah, but this would be like another Olaf except for mans best friend. Its totally the best idea ever and you can't say no because its my one wish." she saw that her sister was about to object

"How am i supposed to get you a dog?"

"You make it."

"I. make. it?"

"Yes! Please please please please ppppppllllllleeeeeeaaaaassssseeeee!"

"okay okay, i'll make you a snow dog."

"Thanks," she was no longer putting on her little girl front

"You want me to make it now?"

both of the girls nodded enthusiastically and waited for Elsa to 'do the magic'. the queen stood up and moved out from behind her desk. Though she had created Olaf and Marshmallow, she still wasn't completely sure how to create life. She just kind of does it, she thinks about it and her hands do the work. Elsa summoned the ice to her hands and motioned towards the floor. A snow dog arrived in the flurry of snow that erupted around it. The dog started wandering around blindly, she told Anna and Rapunzel to go get two stones while Elsa kept the dog company. As soon as they were gone she began to test it.

"Hey buddy, can your talk?"

"Yeah yeah! Are you my master?" its tail wagged back and fourth tentatively

"I guess you could call me that, but so is Anna."

"Anna? Who's Anna?"

"She'll be back in a minute. Do you have a name?"

"Ummmm, probably."

"Okay, do you want me to choose it for you?"

"Sure sure!"

"Okay, lets call you... Marshall?"

"Im not feeling it-" the dog began

"Hey cutie!" Anna bounced in with Rapunzel just behind," how would you like some eyes?"

"I would love that!" he bounced up and down while Anna tried to put some stone eyes in

"I also thought you would like a nose!" she placed one on his snout," aaannnddd done!"

"Thank you thank you!" the dog gave Anna lots of kisses

"Are you Anna?"

"I certainly am!"

"Yay! Can you give me a name?"

"Sure! Lets call you Fido! no wait, i know, how about murphy. Ooo, you look like a Commit!"

"How about Riley?" Rapunzel offered

"Do like that name?" Anna held his head up to her face

"Like it? I love it!"

* * *

**July 16, 1845**

**3:54 PM**

**The library**

"Anders?" Olaf asked," Aaaaaaaandersssss. Can you not hear me? ANDERS!"

"What do you want this time?" Anders put his book down for the millionth time

"What cha reading?"

"Im reading-"

"Ooooooo, are you hungry? Im pretty hungry."

"Olaf, you don't need to eat, therefore you do not feel hunger." he explained

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure."

"Then what am i feeling in the pit of my stomach?"

"I dont-"

"Wait! I know it, its on the tip of my tongue. I'mmmm, bored!"

"Imagine that."

"We need play a game!"

"Not right now Olaf!"

"Okay, we could play hide and seek, or tag, or-"

"I know a game."

"Really?!"

"Yeah."

"What is it?"

"It's called the quite game. You have to sit still and be quite and the first person to talk looses."

"YEAH! I can do that! Im GREAT at staying quite."

"We started already."

"Oh." Olaf zipped his mouth with his stick arm and pretended to throw away the key

Just then, Anders heard a great thud, perhaps of the castle doors slamming shut and heard hooves pounding down the halls. He was just about to roll his eyes when he heard a not so familiar sound. A dog in the castle, i must be going crazy- he thought, and returned to his book. Just then Sven ran by the door, on his tail was a creature that looked like a dog. But couldn't be because it appeared to be made of snow. Following the dog was Anna and Rapunzel, and on their trail was Kristof, who was covered in snow, leaving a trail behind him.

"Sven keep running!" he yelled

"No! Stop. Riley i command you to stop!" Anna yelled next

"What in the-" Anders breathed out as he watched them parade crazily past the door

"Ha! I win!" Olaf pointed his stick arm at Anders

**Pretty normal chapter, nothing much happens, sorry about ****that. I also apologize if i don't update for awhile. With school about to start up and none of my shopping done... Anyway, I'm gearing up to get some more intense stuff in. Don't hate Joseph and Henry too much, Im trying to figure out their personalities. Joseph is gonna be really complex and all over the grid. Hopefully Henry will be more on the cover and less thinking, at some point that'll be what Elsa needs. And yes, Joseph can be considered the bad guy, but he'll pull through. No, Henry is not at all bad. Sorry if it feels like forever since I've updated, and i apologize in advance for any typos, i don't feel like reading it right now. Im at a horse show right now and i just showed my two horses Player and Zandro, so I've got a lot on my plate. But i love this story and i am for it all the way! Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**I do **

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not and never will own Frozen**

* * *

"If you don't imagine, nothing ever happens at all."

-John Green; Paper Towns

* * *

**July 21, 1845**

**12:41 AM**

**The Docks**

The day was bright sunny and full of promise. Elsa blinked awake and yawned loudly, lately she had been doing that a lot. Today she would be doing tons of work and does not plan on a break. The queen reflected on yesterday, the general had called her into the office and implored that she get a personal body guard.

As in the kind that stands outside your bathroom door when you bath and watches you sleep. That alone had weirded her out, but when she learned that he wanted to do it she had been completely creeped her out. Besides, Elsa didn't see the benefit for anyone except maybe the bodyguard. It would take one more person out of their already small guard, she'd have to pay the person more money when they'd just be following her around, and most of all she'd have to watch herself all the time and make sure not to do anything embarrassing.

So Elsa had flat out refused to have a personal bodyguard, so then he insisted that Anna have a personal bodyguard. He also insisted that he be the one to do that, and Elsa resisted the urge to yell at him because the princess has a boyfriend. Who would certainly back her up on the matter. Though the queen decided not to tell Anna because she knew the second she told her that the general had wanted to do it she'd tease her and then try and get them dating. And there was one other thing that happened, though Elsa can't quite recall it. _Probably wasn't that important._

Though that was about all, in fact Elsa was completely not looking forward to these next few weeks. Sure, she'd have company, but all she'd do all day is work. With no big events coming up, Anna would pester her non stop about going on an adventure. And the fact that her best friend cousin, Rapunzel, and her husband Eugene are leaving today certainly won't help._ Speaking of, they should be leaving... dang! In about ten minutes! Which gives me ten minutes to get dressed do my makeup and get to the docks. _Normally Anna would wake her, but she must've forgotten because they were leaving. Just as she was getting up Gurda rushed in.

"Up up up! I am so sorry you're majesty, I completely forgot to get you up!"

"Not to worry, which dock should I be heading to?" Elsa asked her maid, who then looked up at her like she was insane.

"I wasn't aware that you were gonna meet the duke at the docks." now it was Elsa's turn to look at Gurda like she was crazy, then Elsa remembered.

Thats the other thing that happened yesterday, her Royal court had dropped the bomb on her that Arendelle is in dire needs of a secure trade partner. Now. And since Weasletown is the closest kingdom fit to trade with Arndelle, she had to agree to allow the duke back into her kingdom and discuss a trade treaty. To which Elsa had been completely and utterly outraged, so she'd mostly stayed in her room the rest of the day.

"Right right, the duke is coming, _right_." Elsa nodded to herself and hurried to finish getting ready

Once Elsa had finished getting ready she walked down the hall and came to a stop at the beginning of the staircase, below her Anna, Rapunzel, Eugene, Henry, Joseph, Gurda, Kai, and Kristof stood, lining both sides of the staircase. At the other end of the long hallway, the duke, flanked by four guards was just entering the castle. She thanked the gods that she hadn't made them wait and began descending the stairs in a measured pace.

At the bottom of the stairs the duke introduced his men as Sir Motrov, Keane, Litchel, and Winsort, in a clipped tone that suggested Elsa wasn't the only one being forced to except this trade agreement. Then she introduced her party and was about to suggest they shift gears and go to the dinning room for some wine. Hoping that in there the air wouldn't feel so stuffed, when she heard mushy footsteps and cursed her life. Knowing the duke, as soon as he saw Olaf, would have a complete heart attack.

"Hug?" Olaf guessed, appearing almost out of nowhere right at the dukes feet. Elsa almost face palmed, almost.

The duke of Weaseltowns spectaces popped right off his head," WHAT ON GODS GREEN EARTH IS THAT THING?"

Olaf seemed quite unconcerned at the fact that the duke was hiding behind his men and waddled even closer," Im Olaf! And i like warm-" Anders chose to stop him there

"This 'thing' is Olaf, and despite his horrific exterior, he's quite harmless." Elsa couldn't decide if he was being sarcastic of dead serious.

But the duke was already running down the hallway, followed by his men who were walking very fast and trying to keep up. The duke may be small but he can move.

"So is that a no?!" she called as the door slammed, Elsa wheeled around, not sure if she was gonna punish Olaf, who probably wouldn't understand, or Anders who should've kept him away. But instead she just glared daggers at the both of them.

"You know, i think we are gonna get going." Anders pointed at the door and started for it

"Hang on, Olaf, please, in the future, don't interrupt meetings."

"I was trying to help!"

"We'll have to manage without you somehow." Anders told the snowman as he ushered him out

Elsa decided to wait, thinking that maybe he'd need a moment to recover from the sheer philosophical strain of learning that there is a talking snowman waddling around in the world, but maybe he'd come back.

**30 minutes later...**

He didn't come back. In fact, Gurda delivered the message that The Duke wanted nothing to do with Arendelle its insane ice wielding queen and her snowman minion, so to speak. Elsa was half relieved and half not so relieved that the trading had not worked out. Elsa believed that though Arendelle needs a sturdy trade agreement, dealing with people so stuck in their own ways is not so much good as it is bad. So Elsa decided she was mostly relieved.

After that epidemic, they had gone to the docks for the Coronians send off. Anna, of course cried, Kristof mostly stood there awkwardly, and Eugene had the ship moving within five seconds of their arrival. As much as she loved her cousins, Elsa felt a little bit better knowing that things wouldnt be so chaotic Anymore. Until she remembered her two other guests...

* * *

**July 21, 1845**

**1:45 PM**

**A ship/Russia**

As soon as Eugene and Rapunzel had left, Joseph had excused himself, saying that today he'd be off visiting his family and didn't want to wait too long because it was a long ride. Elsa had said that was fine absentmindedly as she tried to calm down her little sister, who was going on and on about how bored she would be without her cousin. Until her older sister mentioned ice cream and in the pantry and Anna ran off at the speed of a bullet.

Joseph decided then to quietly remove himself from the equation. He silently walked to the docks and invisibly commandeered a ship from Arendelles port, but not so much considering the queen had permitted him to take it, sort of. Once he had set sail, he was again sequestered to his thoughts. Not that he had any problem with his conscious, its just that sometimes Joseph would like to feel nothing. Instead of the constant emotional range that comes with being human. For instance, in this exact moment, while steering his ship to Western russia, he is feeling Something uncomfortable. At first he's not sure what it is, but then, as he reads more into his mind, he realizes that this quite uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach is what you'd call guilt.

Now, the next to last thing you'd expect a contract killer to feel is quilt, the first being insaneness. But there it is, that dull, but constant moan that makes you feel like you do on every dreary day: guilt makes you feel like shit. This is what Joseph is feeling as he expertly sails the small ship through mild conditions with one easy hand. Guilty perhaps for lying to the queen, and what do people do when their feeling guilty about something? They try to make themselves feel less guilty, like maybe, in his case, trying to make it not so much what it is but what it could be. For instance, Joseph is not entirely lying, he is going home, and though the people he is visiting are not his actual family, they are the closest he's got. _There, all better. _But it wasn't better, because he still had to guide his ship and he still had to be alone and he still had lied to the queen.

So he spent the next three hours feeling like shit, and then he spent another hour after that wishing he could just arrive at his damn palace. Joseph is one of those people who do it their way or they don't do it at all. Thats what most people look for when they look for a contract killer. People who kill because they simply can. So basically Joseph could be a baker because he can. People who are like this are generally people who can hide their emotions. Somebody who can kill because they can deal with the emotional trauma. It's different for Joseph then it is with most people. For most people, the stress of taking the life from someone would make them a psycho path, but Joseph is still a generally good person. Killing is not something you do when you have nothing else to do, killing is something you do because you can't not do it. Killing is a habit. Like biting you're nails or cracking your knuckles. Its something you develope over time and then get addicted to, and then you cant stop. Like a drug addict or a drunk.

I'm not gonna delve deep into it. Basically, unlike most killers, Joseph does not enjoy his hobby. He does not like to put a bullet through someone else and take away the one thing that should be preserved, life. He does it because its what he's good at. He's good with a gun and fast on his feet and he's got a good punch and always carries a knife. Its these qualities that men look for in their contract killer. These qualities that don't make a man become a baker. It wasn't like he had much of a choice, when it all came down to it, Joseph had to starve, or kill. And desperate times call for desperate measures.

By now the wind has picked up and he can make out the water crashing violently against the jagged rocks that his castle sits upon. The great brick expanse looms over the vast blue waves in an eerie way. Though as Joseph draws near he can hear the laughter of his 'family' as they enjoy the day. Dull and shitty as it was, Joseph doubted it would rain, it rains almost never there but you can almost always count on the dry lightening and wolves howling in the background to add to your casa de Joseph experience. Joseph couldn't help but smile at the thought of seeing his friends and being back at home sweet home. Joseph sailed into the cove and weighed anchor at the docks. Just as he was putting the sails down. You may doubt the rain but you ca n never be too sure, a chubby man with black hair and a toothy grin waddled over to the ship.

"Well if it isn't Joseph!" Sergei called as his smile widened, Joseph jumped out and greeted his friend with a hug, Sergei hugged back and slapped Joseph on the back," a suprise inspection from the boss. The boys'll love this!"

"They better, how're things going around here?" they began to walk down the long dock as the waves threatened to swallow it whole

''Ah oh kay cap. The servants are hard at work in the castle, the dungeons got tumble weeds rolling through em, I suppose thats a good thing, and the guys just finished lunch and are back at it for the rest of the day.

"Sounds like every things in tip top shape then."

"You bet cha, if you'd of gotten here... oh, ten minutes ago you would've seen Sasha and Tanya getting into it. You shoulda been there, they may be small but whooee, they've got some fire in their. Oh, and Vanessa is tough as nails, greatest pirate if I've ever seen one. And she's got a boy of her own now!" he reffered to Josephs younger sister, who by now would be seventeen

"Really, last time i was here they were making fun of her." Joseph was suprised at how protective he felt

"Oh ya, that ended when she cut of Goran's finger." he laughed at the memory

"As in Giant Goran?"

"The one and only, after that everyone made a fist when she walked by, it was a hoot!"

"Wait, so who's the lucky man?"

"Zoro." Sergei rolled his eyes then, if he'd not been born into his position, he could've made a fine actor

"Zoro? You're kidding right?"

"I know , she couldve had any man she wanted and she chose that little skimp. She's head over heels for the child."

"Do I sense a little jealously?" Joseph chose this moment to tease Sergei about his crush on Vanessa

"And what about you my good man? I thought you were bringing a girl along." he shoved Joseph playfully, though it was strong enough shove into the wheel barrel

"Yes, I'm getting right to that, just thought I'd check up on you kids, give you the load down. Been a while since we've had royalty. Been thinking about giving maners classes."

"La la la la, you did not even say that. And i wasn't aware your target was royalty, who is he?"

"She, and her-"

"Ooooo, and a girl, is she hot." Sergei's voice wen high pitched like a girl talking about shopping, he even batted his eyelashes, and Joseph was once again reminded of the acting," I bet she's hot."

"Quite the opposite actually," Joseph announced matter of factly

"She's ugly?" his friend deadpanned

"No, she has ice powers," Joseph regretted it before he even said it

"The guys are gonna get a kick out of that! You'll never live it down. I can see it now, fir and ice. Oh my god, have you, ya know?"

"Sergei, grow up, this is not gossip girls, and no, I take pride in my work."

"Then bring her here to your dear old family, been a while since we've had a weak link girl."

"I don't think you'd find queen Elsa to be so... cooperative."

"Even better," Sergei said, but Joseph could tell he'd gotten bored of the convo and given up the argument, they walked in silence through town, but it was anything but silent. As they passed the blacksmith, all you could hear was the clanking of metal on metal and the screeching of red hot horse shoes. Next door at the stables, neighing was added to the mix, and then there was a restaurant and music blared out the open windows from the entertainment. Inside people were dancing and their boots collided with the old wood in a sound that could be described as anything but rythmic. Finally the song ended and the people cheered, before another began and the procession began all over again. Once they reached the bar Joseph's ears were about finished.

Sergei ushered Joseph in with a cheerful grin and as soon as they entered he declared ,' Joseph's back and he's buying us all a round!' Which technically meant that no one had to pay. Considering he owned the bar and the rest of the town and the castle. To which everyone cheered and ordered one more, not entirely sure they would be able to down it.

"Jessica's working here now and she told me to bring you here first. Apparently she's got a wild one for you. Not sure if thats a drink or herself, but I'm sure you'll be fine with both." Sergei winked and led Joseph to the counter, where a tall girl with tan skin stood in all her glory. Jessica could be described as a god, but her voice is so annoying that Joseph cant even have a ten minute conversation with her.

"HI Joseph!" she called in her squeaky high pitched voice that could easily break a glass, she downed a cup of beer and grabbed another from the counter

"Jessica, it's good to see you!" Joseph faked his joy

"Kay, listen Ive got this-"

"Sorry Jessica, but Ive gotta run, Ive got somewhere to be." Joseph was out of there lightening fast, but he did manage to slip a beer, once they were outside, Joseph turned to his friend,"You've been telling her iInlike her havent you?"

"Well, not entirely," he smiled sheepishly," but I think you should start dating again." Joseph's heart burned like fire and he flinched at the actual pain it caused, Sergei did too," I' m sorry man, but at some point-"

"No no, you're right, at some point..."

* * *

**July 21, 1845**

**6:19 PM**

**The Castle**

Elsa had run after Anna to get back to the castle and chow down on some ice cream. Aside from chocolate, you could defineatly call ice cream Elsa's favorite. She and anna had munched on ice cream for a while before Kristof had asked Anna to go on a pick nick and she'd rushed off in an even bigger hurry. Elsa sensed Kristof's nerves from a mile away and was immediately worried when he asked to talk to her. An oblivious Elsa had asked if they should wait for Anna. And it finally dawned on her what he was going to say when he said no. Elsa too a deep breath and wondered what she'd say.

Kristof stood there for an eternity. He looked pretty scared and Elsa wondered if he was actually going to ask if she'd have to ask for him. Finally, he took a deep breath and looked like he was about to say something, and then he became silent. Now Elsa wasn't into wasting valuable and limited daylight._  
_

"Do you need something Kristof?" she asked

"Um, yes." he took a way too deep breath," I would like to ask if..." _here it comes,_ Elsa wanted to brace herself, but tried her hardest not to," If could Resign from my position as Ice Master and Deliverer." he actually did brace and his eyes were closed as if he expected her to be outraged

"Oh, um. I though, well. Yes, thats fine. Now if thats _all_ you need. i have, um, work. to... do"

_That was weird._ Elsa though as she floated to her office. Maybe he's not ready, or maybe he's breaking up with her and first he had to quit. _Oh no, Anna will be crushed. Wait, don't be silly, he loves her and would never have the nerve._ Yeah, she told herself. And the reassuring thing was, she actually believed that he would never break Anna's heart. So she arrived at her office feeling confident and ready to do some work. Until she saw Henry sitting at the windowsill, a rose clutched firmly in his right hand. The other grasping the windowsill. _He looks kinda like Kristof did. And i though Kristof was going to... oh no, he's gonna propose. How do i say no? He'll be crushed, and it'll be sooooo awkward, and Arendelle needs a solid trade partner. But what if i say yes? That would be even worse! Or would it? Yes, yes Elsa it would be much much much much much much worse! Ok, cool it. He's gonna propose and you're gonna say no, and then your gonna leave. Wait, how are you gonna leave? This is your office. How about- You know what, screw it._

The queen stopped in the doorway ad Henry looked up at her. Elsa found that she couldn't look him in the eye, all she could look at was the damned rose. His cheeks were flushed and his legs kind of shook as he moved to stand up. Elsa's eyes followed the rose as it moved, not Henry. Elsa wanted to step forward and claim her ground, but her feet were glued to the spot. She wondered how he'd get out when he went to leave with a crushed soul. Elsa wished she had gone to bed, or for a walk, anywhere but here. But she was glad she'd come here so she could face it now. Henry took a deep breath just like Kristof, and then didnt speak just like Kristof. Elsa was gonna say what she had to Kristof, only she couldn't. Frankly, Elsa wasn't sure how she was still breathing. In fact she wasn't sure she was.

"Um, Elsa would you, like to go on a, uh, date with me?" Henry braced for rejection but all he got was a huge exhale from Elsa, and what could only be herself forcing the air back into her lungs," are you okay?"

"Oh yes yes, Im just, I thought you were gonna propose and i was kinda hypervenilating. So thank the gods you didn't or i might have fainted." Elsa laughed and Henry joined in nervously

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" he joked, but Elsa stopped laughing," bad, got it. I guess I'll have to make you like me for that to ever happen."

Elsa smiled, she was glad he could still joke and make the air lighter, Elsa had never really had that quality.

"So," he bent down on one knee and Elsa did a double take before realizing he was kidding," still not funny, ok."

"No no, it's good practice."

"Ok," he bent back down and continued," Queen Elsa of Arendelle, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to dinner this evening?"

* * *

A six year old Joseph watched in horror as his father stormed in, throwing the door against the wall with such force that the whole house shook. His dad stomped past his son without a sideways glance and cast his empty bottle on the floor. Josephs big brown eyes watched his father in fear. Late at night he'd heard his mom talking to herself. Saying things like,' a little boy should be able to have his father run through the door and run and hug him, not cower in the corner,' Joseph had always known what she meant, even when he was two. His father could be described as all things bad, crook, drunk, abusive, all of the above. But even as a tiny easy to convince kid, Joseph never wanted to believe his father was any of these things.

So as his daddy raged out of the family room, Joseph hopped to his tiny feet and waddled clumsily over to the door his father had just racuosly crossed through. But something made him stop, made him not make his presence announced, he ducked back a little but made sure he could see. His father had just fished out another beer and was downing it loudly, little bits trickled down his mouth and to the floor. His mother was making herself scarce as she busied herself with the dirty dishes. The kitchen was the biggest room in the house, and at the time toddler Joseph wished he knew what they were argueing about in low voices. Now, Joseph knows he is glad he didnt, or it would've made the next moment all the more worse.

The man Joseph called his father chucked the next empty bottle at the wall and it smashed against it with a noise that their baby would have heard from the room over. Though his mother stayed perfectly still, her gaze was on the floor. Joseph did hear the next three words,' look at me woman!"Joseph flinched at the next part as his father shoved his mother against the counter. His face inches from hers, but not in the happy married couple way. Josephs father looked like he was about to be in a bar fight, and he had no intension of losing.

"I cant do it anymore Miles, I've tried, but i just don't love you anymore!" his mother was talking normally now

His father didn't look hurt as he grabbed the knife, he didn't look like a man trying to make his wife stay. He looked like a murderer, and their six year old didn't wait to see his mother duck and cry out in fear. All of that rage and fear and misunderstanding, everything he felt towards his father melted to ashes as a flame sparked inside him, and the only thing he felt towards his father was hate. His love towards his father evaporated, and that spark transformed into a roaring beast that had one intension, to protect his mother. Joseph's father turned to face his son, not having known he was there, his father didn't notice the crimson red of Joseph's eyes. He had never noticed he little things, and Joseph was glad that his fathers drunken fury had shifted from his mother to himself. Mary Anne ran across the room to protect her son from the beast Miles had become. She didnt know that the bigger enemy was beneath her son's baby smooth skin.

Miles and Mary had always known about their sons power. But Joseph had always been able to keep it in check. He'd be i his mama's arms at the age of one lighting and then extinguishing a flame. Easy peasy, as his mother would always joke. They'd never worried that he'd light the house on fire, or be dangerous. But there'd always been sides inside him, the good and the bad. A thin line dividing their territories, and what Josephs dad just did had pushed him a good ways over the bad side. So much so that he wasn't sure he could recross.

Miles' face turned from a murderous grin to a scared child in point zero seconds as a flame lit around the mother and child. His father ran around the circle, not quite sure what to do. But kid Joseph knew exactly what to do. His flames took on a life of there own as his father disappeared beyond them, running for his life as he flames beckoned him to come back. Begging for a snack, begging hi to harm his family again. When he'd gone, Mary turned to he son and told him they were safe now, and Joseph had said he knew. The next three words would be forever engraved in Josephs brain. In that moment, Joseph's triumph shattered into fear of what he'd just said: I can't stop. And he couldn't, the whole house was enveloped in flames as Josephs fire did the one thing it likes to do most, destroy everything.

After his fire had destroyed his house and everything in it, Joseph's flames had died immediately, as his fire could not express his sorrow. He ran from the house, and slept in the forest that night. The next morning he returned to the ashes with flowers, white, white because his mother had always loved white. And six year old Joseph lined the the edge of the ashes in white flowers, and he said he was sorry, and he prayed that he'd be safe and that he'd be ok, and then he ran. He ran because his sadness could only be dulled by one thing, and that was pain. When he couldn't run anymore, he kept running. Joseph didn't know how far he'd run when he forced himself to keep running. All the while he prayed, prayed to find shelter, and food, and clothes, prayed that he'd be okay. But he wasn't, and he could only think one thing.

_I guess the gods don't help murderers..._

* * *

**July 21, 1845**

**8:00 PM**

**The Village**

Anna had come to Elsa's room about an hour ago near tears. Elsa almost believed for the slightest second that Kristof had broken up with her, but then she thought-then anna would be a complete and total wreck. So she wasn't all that supprised when her dramatic sister had almost screamed that she had nothing to wear. Elsa told her to calm down and pick something from her closet. To which Anna had perked up and bounded into Elsa's closet. the queen didn't bother to go in, Anna could do it herself. _Yep, Anna can not do this by herself anymore- _Elsa thought as she stood in the middle of what used to be her closet. It had been replaced with a sea of cloth that Elsa assumed were her dresses. Which had once upon a time been hung up and color coordinated.

Elsa smiled at the thought as she and Henry walked down Arendelles lively streets. By now it was dark and no kids were around, only large groups of men and women and a few couples. Elsa felt oddly at ease as she and Henry continued down the lit up streets.

"So, Elsa, tell me a little bit about yourself," he said nervously, Elsa almost laughed at his lame attempt at a conversation, she imagined this is what it must have been like for Anna and Kristof.

"Like what?" she ended up chuckling a little bit

"I dont know, what do you like o do in your free time?"

"Free time?" that was almost a foreign word o the queen, she expected Henry to ask another question, but he seemed at a loss," sorry, I'm not the easiest person to get to know."

"It's ok, how about i tell you a little about myself."

"Go for it."

"Okay, my favorite physical activity is horseback riding, though i like to think I'm good with a bow and arrow." he laughed a little bit, obviously he wasnt that good," Um, my favorite food is ice cream, favorite season is spring, and my favorite color is blue. Now, how about you answer those questions."

"Okay, I too enjoy horseback riding, but i also love shooting, umm-"

"Like with a gun."

"Exactly like that."

"Didnt have you pegged for that kinda girl."

"Well then i guess this is going to be a beneficial excersize. Anyways, favorite food is chocolate, yum, favorite season, winter, obviously, i don't know what my favorite color is and i also speak fluent russian."

"Fluent Russian?"

"Fluent Russian."

"Hmmm, why queen Elsa, you are a woman of many talents."

"I'd like to think so."

They walked in silence the rest of the way and when they finally arrived, there was an open table for two. Elsa had never been to this restaurant due to her isolation, but she automatically loved it. The interior looked almost like a vineyard, with the wooden walls and ivy leaves hanging all around. Elsa got the feeling that this would be where people come to propose, and then she felt sick to her stomach. The waitress led them to a table, and then laid the menus out. There was a candle and at all the tables around them people were staring lovingly into each others eyes. It was awkward at the least.

There waiter, thank god, came by almost right after the waitress left. Elsa kicked herself for thinking that maybe Henry wouldn't get the right moment to ask the question. And then she remembered that he'd planned a walk in the gardens. Upon the waiters arrival, he introduced himself as Gorden and then bowed in the presence of the queen. Elsa quickly assured him that that would not be needed and to just call her Elsa. Henry ordered them red wine and then got right back to there conversation.

"So, is Anna always so high maintainence?" he asked while taking a sip

"You have no idea, just the other day she climbed up the tallest tower and had me make a snow slide down it, something about Olaf and herself using it as an escape and it being quite fun?"

"I see."

The small talk continued in this nature until the server came back and they ordered their meal, and then it resumed. Though Elsa wasn't bored, she couldn't help thinking that the man she marries should be able to have a fun conversation and just laugh easily. With Henry it seemed much to formal, but she'd expect that with any prince. _Maybe thats why Anna likes Kristof, because he's not so stuffy. Too bad i don't have anybody like that, except Josep- don't you dare go there Elsa! _The queen scolded herself and then directed her attention back to the conversation. After dinner Henry did take her to the gardens, and she did get nervous, but she didnt care, she was having fun.

"Wait, so every year you're family would go sledding?" Elsa asked, she wished her family could've done that

"Yep, you wouldnt believe how bad some of my brothers were."

"Really? All of them seem strong."

"Oh yeah, and it was so funny when we ran into a reindeer and it chased Chase down the hill. He's so afraid of them now!"

"Oh my goodness, that sounds like fun," her smile faded

"Whats wrong?" Henry stopped to face her and he seemed concerned

"I just wish Anna and i could've had that childhood."

"I know it was rough, but its beter now, Anna's happy, you're happy..."

"Yeah, its just-"

"Hang on, dont move." The moon had just moved from behing the twilight clouds and the way the light splashed against her pale cheek was just wonderful in Henry's eyes. Her sharp blue eyes looked peaceful with a hint of confusion that he found adorable.

"Why-?"

But Henry didnt say why, and Elsa didnt need him to, because his hand reached out and tucked a blonde strand of hair. If Elsa could think she would've thought that was a cliche move, but she coudnt think. It was like the night of the dance, but she couldn't turn away this time. He moved in closer still, examining her flawless skin and piercing blue eyes closer still. Elsa didn't pull away, and Henry didnt pull away. When their lips met Henry's whole body ignited, and Elsa, she felt... nothing.

* * *

**July 21, 1845**

**9:12PM**

**The Meadows**

Anna had been confused when Kristof said they were going to walk to their pick nick location. It wasn't very close, and her boyfriend would normally be grateful for Sven's company, help him not get too nervous. But night they were walking, and Kristof was looking even more nervous than usual. As they walked through the meadows, the princess was extremely aware of how alone they were. It made her feel edgy, free, it made her feel dangerous.

Kristof held the basket while Anna pranced along collecting flowers in the dusk. His eyes never left her and Anna was very aware of it. Normally she would've felt nervous at Kristof being nervous. But not now, his gaze was wiring her up and she was ready for the charge,well not that charge, but for a fun night. When Kristof finally knealt down Anna was trudging along, mostly tired but somewhat bored, not even caring if she was ruining Elsa's black dress. Kristof was wearing a black suit and tie and looking very much the part. Anna loved how the dark night allowed the moons glow to highlight his perfect features. And when they both sat did they stared into each others eyes like in cheesy plays.

That didnt last long though because Beneath the wooden basket, the princess smelled a very very enticing smell. Chocolate, and they dug in, eating politely and yet not so plitely. They talked and laughed and ate. And by the time they had finished, Anna didn't want it to be over. They packed up and began to walk back, but Kristof was back to being stiff.

"Kristof, is something wrong?"

"Actually Anna, yes, something is wrong." he stopped and Anna walked back so that she could see his face, well almost, she had to look up and he had to look down

"What is it?"

"I've been thinking, and I feel out of place in the castle. Being the only one thats not royal." _Im sure its just in your head Anna, he's not gonna-_

"Being an oaf that was raised in a barn next to all these fancy princes." _Dont cry Anna, dont, you can take this_

"And not being good enough for Elsa, when you could have any charming hansom prince." _This is not happening, it cant be_

_"_Being me next to a princess..." _Okay, Im gonna cry_," So I guess what I'm trying to say is, princess Anna of Arendelle, will you marry me?"


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

**Everything Changes**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I disclaim the movie that hs story has blssomed from**

* * *

"We are like Humpty Dumpty and all these kings horses and all these kings men cannot put us back together again."

Gayle Forman; If I stay

* * *

**Previously:**

"So I guess what I'm trying to say is, princess Anna of Arendelle, will you marry me?"

* * *

**July 21, 1845**

**12:55 PM**

**The Hallway**

When Anna had not come to Elsa's room raving to her about how great her night was, the queen knew something was up. What she did not know and what she couldn't wait to know was if it was good or bad. So she had gone to Anna's room to see if it was good, and when she hadn't been there Elsa had gone to the kitchen to see if it was bad. When there secret chocolate stash had been untouched Elsa knew it was good, and if Anna wasn't in her room that meant she was in Kristof's. Elsa began to walk there when Gurda stopped her.

"You look like your in a hurry," she said from behind a stack of clothing at least four feet tall

"Just looking for Anna," Elsa said, talking to the stack of clothes

"Hope your not going to Kristof's room."

Elsa stopped mid step, when Gurda gives a warning, no matter the size, you don't ignore it," Why not."

"Now I don't want to spread any rumors, just giving a warning. Wouldn't want you walking in on something your not pre paired to see."

Than it dawned on Elsa," he must've given her a _really _nice suprise." normally these things wouldn't come out of Elsa's mouth, but Gurda was known as being in on all of the castle gossip, so if anyone knew, it was her.

Gurda smiled and beckoned for Elsa to lean in," you did'nt hear this from me, but i heard he proposed."

"He did," Elsa attempted to keep her ice powers in check, but gurda had a knack for sensing her about to lose control from a mile away.

"Oh dear, yeah, you definately didn't hear that from me."

"Thats great," she said stiffly, but what was going through her mind was the fact that he had not asked for her blessing. And after that thought, though she felt guilty, she realized that even Hans had asked. She wondered what that said about Kristof. Of course Elsa wouldn't express any of these feelings aloud, she figured gurda was getting a pretty good idea just from her face.

"Calm down your majesty," Gurda dropped the laundry and put a soothing hand on Elsa's back

"Calm down? Why on earth would I need to calm down?"

"We'll, it seems that there is some frost forming in the corners..."

"I'm fine, I just think that Romeo and I should have a... talk."

"Come on, your majesty, let them have their moment. You would want Anna to leave you alone right?"

That made Elsa do a double take," I wouldn't need Anna to stop me because I would never let any man compromise me like that." But Elsa couldn't quite look her maid in the eye, and that told Gurda all she needed to know

"You know, the latest rumor in the castle is that you and-"

"Shhh! That was a one time thing and, for the record, that was all Henry."

"Aww, trying to pin the blame on Henry! Wait till Anna finds out!"

Elsa scowled but Gurda just chuckled and gave Elsa an affectionate smile. The smile of a mother Elsa had wished for many years she could still have. The queen returned it and decided she would let Anna and Kristof have there moment, and then scold them for it later.

"Okay, more on the topic of you and Henry!" Gurda clapped," I've got a reputation to keep as the head gossip maid." She straitened her shirt with a smug grin

"There is nothing to tell."

"Yes there is! Was it romantic?"

"No! Okay Yes! I'm so ashamed"

"What for?" For the first time the maid looked genuinely confused

"He's from the Southern Isles! And i could over look that except for i felt absolutely nothing! Does that mean theres something wrong with me? And not only that but he had this puppy dog grin on afterwards that was totally adorable but i so do not like him. But he thinks i do and he was so reluctant to leave me! And what happens when he proposes? I'm gonna say no and he's gonna give his green eyes and he'll probably do it in front of everyone and it'll be soooooo embarrassing! And the he'll be crushed and I can't possibly forget that i'm probably gonna have to say yes because of the Royal court and their guilt trip,' do it for the kingdom!' Ugh, what am i gonna to do with my life. And i also have to confront the happy knew couple about not coming to me before their little trist, so don't think I've forgotten about that, and I think im gonna go back to the kitchen and get some ice cream." Elsa heaved after her little rant and felt the need to try and look like she still had some dignity. She straitened up and adjusted her crown self consciously. Gurda smiled again and Elsa heaved once more before going to the ice cream.

* * *

The days following the proposal were full of joy and happiness for all, but Elsa. Of course she'd given them her blessing when they'd asked the morning after, and of course Henry was acting like Elsa was completely in love with him and of course Olaf was happy and Anders was irritated and somewhere out there Rapunzel was dancing and Eugene was getting into trouble and people were going about there normal lives. Here, of course Queen Elsa of Arendelle was going about her daily life too, except she wasn't doing it with joy, in fact Queen Elsa of Arendelle is royally in a bad mood.

There should've been a knock on the door, but instead Anders stomped in and deposited Olaf on the caret with a rough gesture.

"I DONT EVER WANT TO SEE THIS INSCECANT CREATURE AGAIN FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!" He yelled and before Elsa could respond with something befitting her attitude, Anders was out the room and disapearing around the corner.

It seemed poor Anders was almost in a worse mod than Elsa. He nodded his head as if to say 'yeah, good going anders' and walked out the room, not even bothering to shut the door.

"I think I made a knew friend!" declared a blissfully oblivious Olaf

* * *

**July 23, 1845**

**1:23 PM**

**A saloon in the woods**

"I'm glad you could meet me here." the dark skinned man sits down across from the even darker skinned man while he puts his beer down loudly on the table, some splashes out. Around them, a bunch of thugs and barbarians drink and dance and drink some more as they enjoy themselves and try to forget about whatever happened during the day.

The even darker skinned man acknowledges the dark skinned man with a single, curt nod. But he's still scanning the crowd, making sure he's not been trailed, perhaps. A few minutes pass and neither of them says anything. They both sip on their beer and they both look scary, mean, and experienced. They both look normal. To this joints bar anyways.

"Tell me," the dark skinned man speaks for the second time, he slowly raises his beer back to his lips, tilting it very far up, draining the last drops into his throat, he delibrately sets it down, thinking about what he should say, what he shouldn't say. He shakes his head, not pleased with what he comes up with. Finally he speaks for the third time, but his voice is hushed and suddenly hurried, the even darker skinned man has seen it too, a man with an eye patch has walked in and is scanning the crowd, his eyes seeing everything he needs to see, but not what he wants. There's not much time. The same man speaks.

"Do you know the mission," the other man nods, and doesn't take another swig,"Don't talk much, ehh. Whats your name son."

The even darker skin man gave the dark skinned man a sideways look and with a smile tugging at his lips, said nothing. The man with the eye patch had moved to the bar and had just bought a drink. He swiveled around on the chair, and quite obviously scanned the crowd again, then, as he took a sip, scanned it again. Any other man would've thought he were looking for a girl. But any frequent guest would know that if there was a girl, there'd be a crowd.

"Dont talk at all then, okay, that's fine, I'll call you Henrik. Do you like that name?" 'Henrik' gave another sideways glance and did take a sip, his eyes were casually on the crowd, anyone who was looking would see his eyes land on the eye patch sitting at the bar one too many times. Too bad nobody's looking. It'll be another minute before patchy sees the two men sitting at the very back of the bar, one talking in a low voice and the other watching the dance floor.

Now the dark skinned man decided the time for chit chat was over and dug into his coat pocket as un obviously as he could, and it wasn't too obvious, but if anyone was looking... Both of the men knew that eye patch had seen not Henrik get the scroll out of his coat, and he'd seen him hand it too Henrik.

So he stood up, bumping into a very large man, who took offense, but the man with the eye patch was quick, though by the time he'd reached their table, Henrik and not Henrik were long gone. The man cursed, but they'd left their beers so he shrugged and took an angry gulp.

* * *

**July 23, 1845**

**11:35 AM**

**Arendelle**

By the time Henrik reached the gates, he was gaurded by the clock of night. He moved swiftly and efficiently, he ducked, and rolled, and ran and walked through the city without even getting a sideways glance. Curfew had not yet been called and since her majesty had ordered the gates never to be closed, he walked right in. There were two guards standing at the gates who didn't even blink as he passed by, they were in an argeument, he wasn't interested in the details. _Tight ship they run around here._

Henrik wished that the ship could stay loose, but by the time he was even close to the main castle doors, there were guards everywhere, there were also people everywhere, strange for so late at night. Once or twice he though about stealing a guard costume and walking right in, and once or twice he didn't, that would be to cliche. With the people everywhere and the darkness closing in, Henrik slipped into the shadows and brought out two knives. He stabbed the side of the walls and hoisted himself up, again and again. _stab stab stab. _Until he reached his destination.

Henrik climbed onto the balcony and wished he could just do the job. But he turned around, feeling the need to take a breather, and looked out over the kingdom, over the vast fjord and wished he could look at this view and be filled with joy. But as he tilts his head towards the stars, he's filled with great pain, and when the pains gone he's reminded of the anger and hatred he feels for this kingdom. _The view is beautiful- _he thinks, but its tainted by something only Henrik can see. He looks out at the houses he used to live in, at the water he used to swim in, at the stables he used to ride in, and his hate triples and it bursts through his soul and suddenly he has to break something, anything, and so he slowly turns around to where the queen sleeps soundly, and he thinks- _she'd be so easy to break, so fragile in this state. _But he shakes himself out of it. Because he knows a lot of money is riding on this job._  
_

And who is he to turn down a lot of money? The price some people would pay to have something so beautiful destroyed. And suddenly Henrik is at war with himself. He wants the money, so bad, but he also wants to protect the queen. Something about her, and maybe it's just in her sleep, seems still so innocent, something about her tiny frame and pale skin that makes you want to hide her in a safe place and guard her with your life. Like a little puppy that you've just found, lost an abandoned. And this feeling disgusts him so much that he almost kills her just for the defiance in it. But he doesn't, because there is still a lot of money looming over him just high enough so that he cant reach it.

Part of him wonders why his employer doesn't just tell Henrik to kill her. It'b be easier, he could even stage it like suicide. But then he realizes its the struggle. What he is about to do to her she will have to live with for the rest of her life. She'll have to live with the pain, and Henrik can't help thinking that the man he left behind in the bar must've been hurt by her, or someone he loved so very dearly and will never get back because of a careless girl. And Henrik thinks that maybe he'd do the same thing if he were in that mans position. And then he thinks, but i'd bet this girl would agree with that too. And he doesn't want to hurt her again, and then he's looking at the sky again and then he's looking at the door because it's opening and then he's outside on the porch hiding hiding hiding.

The queen wakes from her undisturbed slumber and rubs her eyes, oh so inncoently. And Henrik realizes its not the same kind of innocence he thinks it is, it's the kind of innocence that a five year old girl has. He stays perfectly still in the shadows as a small snowman walks into the room. Like a real snowman, walking into the room, alive. Its this kind of stuff that makes him think he's gone insane, and he's about to walk back into the room, convinced its hysteria, when the thing talks again. It rings in the silent night and Henrik is sure he's really heard it.

"Elsa?" he's said again

"Yes Olaf?" her voice is amazing too, like soft silk even when its laced with sleepiness

"I've been thinking, and Anders isn't really gonna stop being my friend, is he?"

"And this couldn't wait until the morning?"

"Absolutely not." The snowman stared at her without an ounce of sleep

"Then yes, Olaf, I'm sure he will still want to be your friend, he's just stubborn."

"Ok!" Henrik thinks the snowman is too naive, and then he thinks that thats only because Elsa egged him on, because she's nice, she's spared him even the littlest burden. Then he sighs because now the snowman's left and he's relieved, but he's also annoyed because this means he'll have to wait until she falls asleep again. So he slides down the porch wall and waits for thirty minutes and the sun drowns into the black as the moon breaks through the surface and the night is alluminated in such beauty over the town that not even Henrik can hate it. Henrik fades back into reality from his thoughts. He gets to his feet quitely even though he knows she won't wake and walks in.

He ignores all his feelings as he brings out the document and unrolls it. He resists the urge to groan as he sees it's in Russian, a language he's really bad in. He eyes the paper and then reads it aloud. Pausing after almost every letter, and he thinks he's done good except for nothing happens. So he sighs again and reads it over, and when nothing happens again he read it for the third time. This time when he's finished a bright golden light travels over her body, almost like its scanning her. And Henrik imagines it going all the way through her, making her entire being poisoness.

Henrik steps out of the room feeling pleased, but a little unsure. Pleased because he has now completed the job. Pleased because he will get his money. But he is unsure that he has done something wrong and that it will not work. But he is more unsure about her, unsure that he might have just pushed the queen over the edge. Unsure that this might be what causes Elsa to fall. In the morning, when she discovers what she can do, it might crush her. And not only that but her people might accuse her of not being able to control her powers. What they wont know, and what she wont know is that a man came to her late one night and cursed her to never be able to control her powers, to freeze every living thing she touches.

Its the perfect plan really, and Henrik knows it, the man responsible can get away with it because even Elsa will think its her fault. And the man will disapear, letting disaster take its toll on the kingdom as he gets redemption for whatever terrible pain she might've installed in his life. He's still thinking about this as he climbs down the building and walks right out of the gates.

* * *

**July 24, 1845**

**12:54 AM**

**The woods**

"Henrik my friend! Its nice to see you!" the dark skinned man grinned and stood up from the log he'd been sitting on just a second before. The day was bright and promising and he knew it would be the worst day of queen Elsa's life," how'd your mission go?"

"Perfectly fine," Henrik replied, seeming the sligthest bit nervous

"Talking now are we, how'd everything go today?"

"I think I might've read your spell wrong."

"Wrong? How could you have read it wrong?"

"Well, when she touched the little girl, she didn't start to freeze."

"What are you saying?" the dark skinned man was eyeing Henrik warily now

* * *

**July 24, 1845**

**10:12 AM**

**The Courtyard**

Elsa and Anna were walking through the courtyard, accompanied of course by Kristof, who had his hand protectively around his fiances waist. To Elsa, though she knew it was a sweet gesture, it looked incredibly uncomfortable. He had a choke hold on her hip and the queen couldn't imagine why Anna wasn't wiggling to get away. Of course Henry was there too, walking next to Elsa and looking like he would grab her hand and then Deciding against it again and Again, she kind of felt sorry for him. Joseph, of course, was not present. He had run off after Rapunzel and Eugene had left and hadn't returned to that night, so he said he was tired and gone to his room.

She had wanted to ask why, but Joseph didn't strike her as someone who likes answering questions. So she kept her mouth shut. The sun was out today and kids and adults were wandering around. A group of boys were running around and rolling and jumping while having a fight with wooden swords. Plenty of adults would tell them to stop because the queen was present, but Elsa didn't mind. A couple of girls were sitting on a fountain putting roses into their braided hair. It seemed a normal day in her kingdom. Elsa felt the crisp air sharp and refreshing and she felt for the first time in a while, the stress fall off her shoulders. Only her citizens cold make her feel relieved in knowing that her hard work was paying off to make their work just a little easier.

Anna occasionally would stop to smell flowers or fawn over some chocolates or make a funny face at a baby, and, though she moves remarkably fast, kristof is right there with her. And she's starting to get a little bit annoyed.

"Kristof, I''m right here, I'm not going anywhere."

"I know, I just love you so much."

"Yeah, well, can you love me from right here?" she grabbed his arms and moved him a foot over, even this tiny little gap between them seemed to make him uncomfortable, Anna rolled her eyes but kissed him on the cheek," and I love you too."

They continued to move through the village in this fashion, Elsa nor Henry would say anything, Ana would wander off and Kristof would follow. Suddenly, Anna ran off again and dragged Kristof with her, they went into a flower shop and Elsa had a feeling she wasn't looking at flowers.

"Okay, here's the plan, Henry is so obviously in love with Elsa, and Elsa is in love with him too, but she doesn't know it yet, so we have to set them up!" Anna whispered, wondering if the flowers would mix with her perfume and make a nice smell. Kristof looked at her skeptically

"Are you sure thats a good idea, feisty pants?"

"Yes! Why?"

"Well, it is their romance and you should let Elsa take it her own way."

"If i let Elsa take it her own way then they wont be dating for another year. Trust me, I got this."

They came back out of the shop to meet Henry and Elsa and all four of them began to walk again.

"Its hot out," Henry pointed out trying to fan himself

"The weathers not the only thing hot right now, is it Henry?" Anna said in a singsong voice. Henry blushed, Kristof rolled his eyes and Elsa gave her sister the ' i don't know what has gotten into you but I'm gonna kill you later' look, but Anna pretended she didn't notice.

Eventually Anna decided that she was bored,

"Hey guys, so I saw this really awesome, umm, shop over there a minute ago and Kristof and I were just gonna go check it out, so, we're gonna go, and that will leave you two all alone," Before Anna could run off Elsa grabbed her arm

"Dont think i don't know what you're doing," she hissed into her younger sisters ear

"Why my dearest sister, Im afraid i don't know what you mean," she put a hand to her chest, widening her eyes innocently

"I am so sorry about Anna-" Elsa began

"Its ok, now, how about we go play some games!?" Now Elsa was being dragged off too, they ended up in line for the corn hole game, with two people in front of them. One a couple and then two kids behind the couple. The couple stepped up and each picked up three bean bags. Elsa had never played this game before and once she told Henry that, he acted like she'd just spoken a foreign langauge. So he explained it to her and pretty soon the two kids were playing.

"And the boy scores, its five to four now!" the guy running the booth says to the kids, making their game all the more real, they laugh along with him, the boy scores, the girl claps her hands excitedly.

"Looks like he's the only on that knows how to score, if you know what I mean," Anna was suddenly at Henry's side, giving him an incredibly unsubtle nudge

**10 minutes and about fifty more of Kristof's eye rolls later...**

After the game the four of them drifted closer to the outskirts of the courtyard so they can watch the fun. People were dancing and painting on the ground, and there was music and jesters and plenty of entertainment. They sat quietly for a while, just watching and loving how happy everyone was. Of course they don't notice the man called Henrik watching Elsa intently, waiting for her to touch someone, to make sure his mission is really accomplished.

Suddenly, a child starts screaming and crying and kicking on the ground. It appears that her mother is just walking away. The crowd is very loud and only the people closest can hear it. All four of them turn around as do a few others. Elsa briefly wonders if the lady has just set her down until she realizes that the woman has exited the kingdom gates. The queen is immediately filled with rage and uncomprehension at how a mother could just leave her child. The baby girl looks to be about two but is much to tiny in the belly. Her blue eyes are wide and scared and she is still sitting on the ground. Anna and Elsa stand up at the same time.

But Elsa reaches the child first. The second Elsa's skin touches the baby girls, the baby screams louder and then, as if Elsa had fire powers, not ice, Turned right to ash. A horrified Elsa stumbled back and looked at her hands. Ice came from them. Not fire. Not anything that would explain this.

* * *

**July 24, 1845**

**12:54 AM**

**The woods again...**

"Well, when she touched the girl she didn't start to freeze."

"What are you saying?" the dark skinned man was eyeing Henrik warily now

"Im saying that when she touched to girl she didn't start to freeze," he paused, not even sure if he believed himself

"She... Disintegrated."


	8. Chapter 7

**Part II **

**Chapter 7:**

* * *

I have a curse

I HAVE A GIFT

I'm a monster

IM MORE THAN HUMAN

My touch is lethal

MY TOUCH IS POWER

I m their weapon

I WILL FIGHT BACK

Tahereh Mafi; Shatter Me

* * *

**August **

Elsa spends the first month with her room locked from the inside. Mostly watching everything from the window progress as though nothing has happened. Part of her wishes that Henry would stop talking to her from the other side of the door, even though he knows she won't reply. Wishes that Olaf would stop raving about his day each and every night. But mostly Elsa wishes that Anna wold stop knocking on her door in the rythmic beat, and that she wouldn't start singing that song that Elsa heard so many times in her childhood. Sometimes Gurda or Kai would come a knocking and ask if she wants any laundry done, or her sheets hand washed, but she doesn't. Her clothes don't need to be washed because she has tons, and her sheets don't need to be cleaned because Elsa doesn't sleep.

She could try, should try. But every time the queen closes her eyes she is reminded of what she did and is once again filled with the horrible dread of being a monster. Anders brings food by each day so that Elsa can keep herself from starving, honestly, she has to will herself to eat. Anna's birthday is approaching and so is her wedding and Elsa keeps wondering how on earth she will be able to face her people knowing what she's done. Her royal court let her by without a punishment because she had not known that she could hurt people, but Elsa knew that she would get one too many strange looks, that there would be a little too much space between her and the next person. Elsa is not sure that she will go.

* * *

**September**

At first the seclusion from the rest of the world felt like it would be a good idea. But after over a month spent alone, almost never talking, keeping herself locked away to keep others safe. But now it just seems like punishment, fair, don't get her wrong. And the only thing that keeps Elsa from opening her door and walking the halls of her castle is he unfairness of the situation. If any other citizen had been cursed with lethal skin and killed someone, even by accident, they would not have been sparred. So Elsa stays in her room, trying to figure out how it came that her bare hands can kill someone so easily.

Of course she still has her ice powers, but in her mind the situation is so much different. Even now it feels natural to hide her powers in public because thats what she was taught from the moment she could talk, like riding a bicycle. Its easy for her to not spread her powers now because she knows she's loved. But thus is different because Elsa does know she's loved, but she's not sure she deserves it. Her bare hands killed a child. It still shocks her. Still makes her numb.

* * *

**October**

* * *

**November**

* * *

**December**

* * *

**January **

* * *

**February**

Annas birthday has come and passed and Elsa didn't leave her room, she didn't give her sister a present,and she didn't even wish her a happy birthday, because Anna didn't come to her room. And for the first time since her childhood, Elsa felt what Anna must be feeling every day, betrayal. But its not enough to give Elsa the courage to leave her room.

Each and every day Elsa tells herself that she's gonna leave her room, and each and every day she doesn't. Anna has stopped coming by, Henry has stopped coming by, even Olaf, comes by less and less. It supprises Elsa how much she enjoyed all of there company. And one day she's siting in the corner of her room, wishing that her poisioness skin could be felt by herself too, when she hears somebodies body sliding down the door. She thinks that maybe she should ask who it is, but nothing comes out, she realizes that she hasn't spoken at all in about two and a half months. And as much as i shouldn't it scares her, so she busy's herself trying to get a wrd out of hr mouth when the person speaks.

"It's me," and he doesn't have to say his name for Elsa to know who it is. Its the one person in the entire castle that has not once come by, its Joseph. He's quite for a minute, and Elsa thinks he's waiting for her to talk, and at some point during those few minutes he must've realized that she wasn't going to," I was wondering why, at first, everyone wasn't freaking out about their queen going into hybernation." he says it so casually that Elsa almost laughs, but she doesn't," and then I figured i should ask someone, so I went to Anna, and she told me of how you were woken up in the middle of the night by little Anna, and she told me all he way up to how you saved her life. Its quite a story, how she meets Kristof, and with Marshmallow, and ho they met Olaf. A lot the adventure that most children wish to have. And then i asked Anna how come she wasn't singing outside her door like she had when she was a child." his voice sounded like a curious child and yet held wisdom and understanding. Elsa could see his kind eyes in her mind, and she was suprised, how over these months, she could still remember them

"She said that at first, she had, thinking that you'd just had a mental break down and eventually, you'd restart. And then she said that when she was a kid, and you were always in your room, how she'd always looked up to you, thought you were coragous in someway that she couldn't remember, and then, at the coronation, when al those memories flooded back to her, she knew why. You were willing to give up your childhood for the sake of hers. And for a moment there i admired your naive, and crazy sister, and then she said,' but then, as I saw Henry and Olaf visiting her too, I realized how much she had, how many people truly cared about her, and i thought, maybe she's not as brave as i imagined her, and i thought maybe she's just a scared child who doesn't know where to turn to. And i realized she's a coward, that she runs from herself because she can't face what damage she's done on the world. So i stopped singing to her, and coming by her room, because maybe Elsa isn't as strong as i thought, so maybe i should give up on her because she gave up on everybody else."

Elsa didn't know what to thin of what she'd just heard, but she didn't have time because Joseph started talking again.

"And just like that," he snapped his fingers," I realized how messed up both of your childhoods were. And i realized that Anna's right, you're not as strong as we all think, Anna is, because she had the courage to believe in your for all those years. And then, when you'd pushed her away, and ran, she went after you. And then you secluded yourself again and she stuck with you. But people can't believe in each other forever, and if your not gonna do it for yourself or your kingdom, do it for her. Because the brightest things fade so fast."

And just like that Elsa was taking for the first time in months, in fact she want just talking, she was screaming.

"You think I'm doing this for myself?! That I've done any of this for myself! I spent my childhood without knowing my sister, without having any friends! I stayed in my room all day terrified! Just terrified that I'd hurt her again! I will never ever forget that night, and Anna may not blame me, but I do! I am a monster, and she can think I'm not and you can think I'm not but I am! And then again, when I ran off like a fucking idiot and left my kingdom in peril, she came after me! And you're right, I'm not as strong as her, because I can't face who i am and who I've become. And standing there on the frozen fjord, hugging the sister that i froze, surrounded by the kingdom that i ruined, i felt ready to give up! But then there she was, because she's so freaking stubborn that not even i can kill her. And i love her for it, because her strength is enough for the both of us! And you know what, I killed a child, and innocent little girl with my bare hands and god dammit that was it. I couldn't take it anymore, everything I've done in y life has all added up to this, disaster! So you know what Joseph?! Why don't you go to hell! Because I've discovered that the only way everyone can be safe is if I'm locked up! And now I've done it again! My parents are dead, my sister has given up on me, Henry's given up on me, my kingdoms given up on me!" And as her voice dropped to a whisper she fell to her knees," i have nothing."

Joseph was quiet for a long time after that, and Elsa sobbed into her murderous hands. She was sure everyone in the castle had heard her screaming but she didn't care. She didn't care that any of the children staff might've heard her cussing or that she'd just embarassed herself in front of everyone, she just didn't care. She ifted her face from her hands.

"Are you still there?" she choked out

"Yeah."

"Well go away."

"Nah, I think I'll stay a while longer."

Elsa didn't have the energy to make him stay any longer, in fact se dint have the energy at all. Suddenly, queen Elsa was too tired for it all, too tired to rule a kingdom, to tired to walk outside and face the disaster that is her life, to tired to go on. She just coudln't. And then, the world became blurry, and Elsa was sure it wasn't from the tears. Everything blurred out and the only thing Elsa could make out clearly was the other end of the room. The other end where the sword that Kristof had given her sat, untouched in all it's beauty. She remembered the event and it felt so far away, so far in the past that she had almost forgotten it, but not quite. She imagined how long it would take for them to find out. She would go on not talking as normal, and she wondered how they even knew she was still alive in the first place.

Elsa stood up and dragged herself over to the sword. Admiring it at first before pulling it out of the holder and into her hands. Joseph must've heard the lovely medal against medal sound and he came crashing in, breaking down the locked door with his body. She wanted to tell him it was too late, but words failed her. He ran closer than she felt comfortable with and she staggered back. He was still a good ten feet away.

"Elsa, I will touch you." And Elsa wanted to tell him that he can't that it would hurt, that she didn't want him too, but she couldn't, because she did want him too. In fact, Elsa was sure she had never wanted anything more in her life. But she couldn't let him touch her and something in his eyes said that he would touch her if she hurt herself. For all the wrong reasons. It was in his eyes, fierce now with seriousness. So she nodded lightly and put the sword back in its sheath.

Relief flooded all of his features and he nodded too. Neither of them said anything as Joseph stepped out and placed the door back in the hinges. He never entered her room again after that, but each and every day he'd come by and talk to her, on good days she'd talk back. Sometimes she'd cry and he'd sooth her. But she never opened the door and he never saw her. But it was enough for Elsa o have someone to talk too. Because Anna still didn' come by and Henry still didn't come by and Olaf still didn't come by.

* * *

**May 19, 1846**

**1:56 PM**

**The Courtyard**

The courtyard had been transformed into rows and rows of chairs and tons of white flowers and a beautiful alter stood at the end of it.

Oh yeah, Anna's wedding is today.

Everyone in the kingdom is seated and talking happily among each other. Elsa, sits up in one of the higher rows in the back, next to her is Joseph, who as usual, doesn't talk much in public, and Henry on her other side, who hasn't talked to her in months. Today, though she should be happy, Elsa is immensely sad. Today, she will not be the maid of honor, or the brides maid, she will not walk Anna down the isle. She didn't even help plan the wedding, today, was the first time she'd left her room in months. Joseph had slipped her one of the dresses that Anna had planned for her older sister to wear, just in case. As far as anybody knew, the queen was not coming. Now it was only Anna who didn't know. Because a hush fell over the crowd as Kristof made his way to the alter.

Anders stood there looking quite the stud, ready to read the vows. Three brides maids (some of Anna's friends on the staff) Stood in gorgeous sky blue dresses, and the best man, Sven, stood wearing a bow tie and looking quite out of place. Suddenly, the trumpets sounded and Rapunzel and Anna started to walk down the isle. There were gasps in the crowd when they saw Anna's dress, Elsa was one of them. Her dress was the whitest white Elsa had ever seen, it poofed out around the waist and waterfalled elegantly to he ground. White roses covered the bottom half. The top half was sleeveless and simple. Her vail draped behind her and went a little lower than her waist, and the crown also had white roses on it. She looked stunning.

And Elsa started crying. Like literally crying, Henry looked over and his hardened eyes softened. Elsa realized how much she'd missed his kind, gentle eyes. He looked like he was about to put a comforting hand on the shoulder but stopped himself. He seat was about five feet from both Henry's and Joseph and next o Henry sat Eugene and the king and Queen of Corona next to Joseph.

When Anna reached the alter she saw the five of us and waved stealthily, her grin becoming a full blown smile that took up half of her face. Elsa was glad she'd come, even i just to see her sister this happy. Anders read the vow, adding stuff about sticking together even through crazy snowmen attacks and trolls singing songs. The trolls in the back cheered that part.

And finally Anders announced that Kristof could kiss he bride. As soon as they did everyone in the crowd stood up and cheered them on. Once they broke apart they faced the crowd with huge grins on their faces. The staff quickly moved to get the chairs out of the way and the party began. Of course Elsa stayed where she was during the beginning of the party. So far, nobody has attempted to talk to her. But on the bright side, nobody's really looked at her weird, actually, she seems invisible. Anna and Rapunzel forced Eugene and Kristof to dance the whole time. During the third hour a lady came up to Henry and she asked him if he wanted to dance. Herny, being the gentleman that he is, looked to Elsa with eyes that wondered if that was ok. Of course Elsa had told him to go have fun.

Eventually Rapunzel had come to get her parents and drag them off to dance too. So once again it was just Joseph. They sat in silence for a while, and when everything quited down, Henry and the king and queen of Corona did not return, they all set out tables and sat down for some cake. The maids brought cake and wine to everybody, to which they all toasted and dug in.

When Elsa wasn't looking Joseph took a deep breath and pulled out a syringe, he put it in a long shot connected to a short needle and poured the medicine into the vile. Still not looking, Joseph grabbed her arm and pushed the needle through her delicate skin. Being care full not to touch it himself.

"Joseph, what was tha-" her body became suddenly tired and hard to control; droopy.

"Sorry for this Elsa," he grabbed the sack he'd hidden and put her small body in it, but nobody was paying any attention to them. _Sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. _he sighed and fired two shots randomly through the crowd. Joseph made sure that a few people and guards had seen his face before he ran away with the queen.

He ran all the way to the docks carrying the bag. After he stole another ship he slipped her body out of the sack and tied her to the mast. Though she wouldn't wake for a couple of hours, he wanted to make sure she didn't use her magic in her sleep, like sleep walking, but deadly deadly deadly. Being careful not to touch her skin. He almost laughed a that stupid thought as he sailed back to his castle in Russia. They had been pre pairing for her majesty's visit for a while now. She would be given a room for the night and then in the morning be escorted to the gallows.

Finally completing his job. He could've had it done and over with a few moths ago, if it weren't for her whole you touch me you die literally thing. For some that woul be awesome, but Joseph had a feeling that Elsa didn't appreciate her magic like some.

By 6:00 he had arrived home and the men, after seeing her beauty immediately tried to misuse her. Joseph almost didn't tell them about her skin condition. But after he did they looked like a bunch of four year old looking under their beds for monsters. He told them to take her to his room and not to tie her up. Joseph followed slowly, he dropped by the gallows to make sure that they were nice and ready for her. Once they had been up to his standards he went up to his room to meet the queen. There was a guard stationed out front with the key. He unlocked the door and told the man to lock it back, just in case she tried anything funny.

He walked in and sat at the sofa, waiting for her to wake. He watched her eyes flutter slightly and the open very wide, she staggered to her feet and stumbled into the wall. She looked around with scared eyes and traveled to the window. Not seeming to notice Joseph.

"Its a pretty view." Before he had even finished the first word Elsa's head whipped around and her eyes settled on Joseph.

"Why am I here?" her eyes narrowed but she held her ground as he stood up and paced a few feet closer.

"Do you know who i really am?"

"I thought i did."

"I am the most notorious contract killer in the lands."

Elsa's eyes didn't betray her fear as she stood a little bit taller, a bit of realization spread across her face," not if i kill you first."

"You wont kill me," and he knew it, he had called her bluff, and it did flicker across her face in the tiniest bit

"You're right, I won't kill you." her confession of sorts came as a suprise to him, but he knew it was dignity, Elsa knew that the only way to escape would be by using her powers, and she wouldn't do that, so she would go with honor. He respected her a little bit more but did not say so. She moved back to the window like there wasn't a murder right behind her,"You will no kill me tonight, am I right." she no longer had kindness and trust in her voice, it was as if she was meeting him for the first time

"No, in the morning."

"Than i will need a place to sleep."

"You may sleep i here. With me." her eyes widened a bit at the idea of that and he realized what he said had sounded a little dirty.

"Separately." he added, with a shake of his head," why Elsa i never."

Only Elsa didn't laugh like she usually did, or give him a seductive grin. But she didn't, she moved back to the window and watched the grass grow. Joseph sighed and figured this was gonna be a long night. And it started out that way. Elsa didn't ry to make any conversations, she didn't sit down, it didn't even look like she was breathing, and after about thirty minutes of that the questions started.

"Why are you gonna kill me?" She turned around and looked at him, with big blue questioning eyes

"I was hired."

"By Hans?"

"By Ha- wait, how did you know?"

"I always figured he'd come back, i just wasn't sure when he'd make his big appearance." she shrugged indifferently

"But I'm not getting paid by him," Joseph figured it wouldn't hurt to tell her the details considering she'd be taking them to he grave before she could tell anybody

"Then whom exactly was your money coming from?" she now seemed curious, trying to understand

"Don't know his real name, he called himself the shadow keeper, he was creepy, even to me."

"Wow, thats saying something." she rolled her eyes and resumed looking out the window, the conversation was over

"I'm sure Anna will be fine without you." Joseph finally announced

"I know, she has Kristof, and Henry has his brothers, and Olaf has Anders." she turned again, and there were tears in her eyes," they'll all be fine without me."

Joseph had a sudden and very hard to deny urge o comfort her. He didn't enjoy seeing his targets cry, he never has, but its the girls hat usually seem so defiant breaking down that really gives you the perspective. But he sat still, as he watched Elsa fight like hell to make those tears go away. Eventually dinner came and Elsa looked it before moving back to the bookshelves, she hadn't touched a single one, she was just examining them. Joseph said that she must eat her last meal and something about the word last made Elsa's eyes change and she ate without another word. After that it was about nine and Elsa collapsed in he bed without pause. But Joseph knew she wasn't asleep because her body was shivering, and convulsing and he could tell that she was crying again. at about ten he picked out a book and waited for the rest of the night to be over.

* * *

**May 20, 1846**

**8:46 AM**

**The Gallows**

Elsa was being dragged along the ground, a little more carefully than you'd expect, because the people holding her were being extra extra extra sure that they did not touch her, even though she was covered from head to to so nobody could get hurt. It was dark and out and when she'd woken Joseph had not been there. His book was still open on the table when a man unlocked the door and tossed an outfit inside. Elsa decided that meant she should put it on. So she didn't. She wore what she'd been wearing yesterday just to irritate them.

There was a crowd surrounding the hanging rope and Elsa was glad that they were not using the big wooden towed with the sharp axe blade at the tope. Less messy, she decided. They walked her up to the box below the rope and the crowd quitted down. Waiting for the moment her neck would snap. They told her to put her head through the rope and just to be difficult she didn't budge. A man snaked over and carefully slipped it over, but his hand moved the wrong direction and he cried out in pain as the back of his palm touched her cheek.

"Are you ok?!" Elsa cried as he recoiled, he looked up then and Elsa saw that he was just a boy, no older than 12. He looked at her and a looked of understanding flashed in his eyes.

"You're not a monster." he said quietly, he looked like he was about to say more when a man grabbed his collar and yanked him back. Elsa pre paired for the signal o be given and he box to be moved, and she could feel herself getting more tense, when the box started moving...

"Wait!"


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

* * *

"Behind every picture hides a true story. You just have to be willing to look."

Richard Castle; Heat Wave

* * *

The voice echoed around the hanging sight and in reply a hundred heads turned in the direction of the voice. Elsa thought it might be Anna, but it was male, so she thought it might be Kristof, or Henry. But he spoke for a second time and she knew exactly who it was.

"Take her down and bring her to my room. All soldiers and staff report there immediately." the voice rang clear, and nobody in the crowd had a doubt who it was

Thsi time no one seemed to be willing to go near her, so Elsa found herself walking alone. By the time she got there, everyone was already there and lined up in perfect formation. The soldiers and servants difference could be seen a mile away. The soldiers were male and the staff were female. And they were all looking at Elsa. Who, as soon as he entered the room, looked at Joseph.

"Thank you" she wished she could tell him quiet enough for no one to hear, for not killing her, for lots of things actually. But instead when his eyes fell on her she stood a little taller and met his gaze with blazing blue eyes. Joseph looked away first, at the staff and soldiers.

"I have decided that Queen Elsa of Arendelle will hence forth be joining the maids and cleaning staff of the castle. You do not have to address her as your majesty, but The same rule supply for her as they did for Vanessa," they all nodded, elsa wondered what he meant by that, but it seemed as though everyone else knew. Elsa was suddely very aware of the looks she was getting from some of the men, they seemed almost, disappointed that she was executed," you are all dismissed."

"Where should I go?" she asked after a minute, when everyone had cleared out

"Oh, right, I will have my sister show you around and tell you how to clean everything." He stepped outside to ask a guard to fetch his sister, he came back in and announced she'd be right down," her name is Vanessa and she's seventeen, also, if she and her boy Zoro start making out I wanna know about it. Gotta do something about him."

"She can marry whoever she want," Elsa hadnt meant for it to come out so rudely, but she was kinda glad it did

"Weird, I just saved you're life and you still hate me."

"You shot me."

"You put two and two together-" he was cut off by a girl walking into the room, she was literally a full blown pirate. She had a white off the shoulder blouse with a red corset with black lacing and designs. She had on a black skirt down to her knees also layered with red. Black boots accompanied by a black hat, her belt had bullets and a gun tucked in its holster. She also had a sword strapped across her back. She had tan skin and dark brown hair, for only seventeen she dressed like she was in her twenties, and she's the same height as Elsa.

"Joseph!" she ran to him and hugged him tightly, he hugged her back and when they separated they were both beaming

"Elsa, this is my little sister Vanessa, Vanessa this is Elsa." she waved happily and Elsa said hi, the next thing she knew the girl was in another mans arms.

"This is my boyfriend Zoro." Joseph scowled at that and sent them away. Once they left Zoro kissed her goodbye and Vanessa said that she'd better get changed before they started. So Vanessa showed her the room with all the maid outfits called the closet, like literally The Closet. And right next to them the bathrooms, there were about ten stalls and Elsa imagined it would take forever to get changed in the morning.

When she came out she was wearing standard maid clothing, bleak in color, for her, brown and beige and white, with and apron and all that stuff.

Vanessa led her down one of the various back hallways and to a door with two guards already stationed by it. The room seemed to Elsa much bigger than the ones shed been shown on the way. And it had its own bathroom.. Not that she was complaining. But it didn't seem fair to her that she got a bigger room than the others. What had she done?

As they continued a tour Elsa figured out that this castle had a much more strict schedule than at her former home. And when she thought about home she was automatically depressed. She misses Anna and Kristof and Olaf and even Sven. And maybe even Henry.

Elsa nodded as they went through a door that was wider than the others and entered a large room with a ginormous table. The dinning room. She led Elsa to the other side of the dinning room and into a hallway. They stopped going into rooms there. Vanessa would just point stuff out. Infirmary, lounge, office, office, ballroom, they never went up to the third level though, only the first and second. Elsa wondered why but didn't ask yet. She realized that Vanessa was a mix between herself and Anna. She wasn't quite as talkative as Anna, but she was over excitable.

"How come your wearing those clothes? Aren't you a maid?"

"Yes, but i work outside the castle. And I get my own room right across from Joseph's."

"So where you work requires you to wear that? Do you work at a bar or strip club?" Elsa knew i was rude to ask but Vanessa laughed at it

"No, silly, I work on a ship."

"You mean, your actually a pirate?"

"Yes? Whys that so surprising?"

"Well, i don't know, I'm used to being queen and pirating is against the law."

"Oh, I see, just wait till you become one!"

"Become one?" the thought of being a pirate horrified her, and the girl must've seen it on her face because she laughed

"Oh yeah! Once you are too good, you'll move out and work outside the castle. At a bar, or _strip club or_ at the butchery. I chose pirate because it was the least, I don't know, demeaning. I didn't wanna have to act sexy to make money. They'd offer you jobs none stop with that body, private sessions all the time."

Elsa couldn't believe she was hearing this," there's no chance in hell I would ever work at a _strip club."_ But Vanessa was totally distracted now

"I didn't know royalty was allowed to cuss."

"You should hear my sister."

"You have a sister," there was a longing in her eyes and then a dawning," and Joseph took you away from her?"

"Yeah, but she just got married so Kristof'll help her through it." Even to Elsa it seemed like a lame conciliation. But Elsa didn't really pay it attention because she shouldn't have to be consoling someone else on this subject.

"What about you're parents." It must've been written all over Elsa's face because she immediately started to apologize

"No, its not you're fault, they died in a shipwreck."

"How old were you?"

"18."

"Wow, I'm sorry." Elsa got the brain not ask Vanessa about her parents and they continued with the tour

"How come your not showing me the rest of the floors?"

"Because you'll only be working on this floor. But mostly because I'm too lazy."

"But you said all of the new maids work on the fifth floor."

"Normally, but Josephs all weird about you getting you're own bedroom and having a guard outside the door and the door being locked and working near him, its never happened before, except for to me, but I'm his sister."

"Hmmm, how come the doors and the guard?"

"He did the same thing with me, when I wasn't able to protect myself. But you can kill somebody by touching them, and you have ice powers, so i'm not sure why."

"Hmmm," Elsa wasn't sure what to say to that, so she changed the subject, "So what do I do?"

"Right!" Vanessa dragged Elsa through some corridors while explaining her schedule," breakfast will be brought to your room at seven, there's no way to know what it'll be, but it's usually yummy, then you have ten minutes to eat and five to get down to The Closet and 20 to get dressed because it's full if you don't get there fast enough. Then you will go to your first room." she pointed to the door

"In your case the bathroom on floor two, your floor, you have an hour to clean and shine it so that you can see yourself in the stone. Then it will be 8:25, at which time, you will go to your next area, the main hallway. Which you will clean for two hours. Dust from the roof to the floor, all that stuff. Oh, and all the stuff you need for each room will be in a cupboard in that room. At 10:25, you will head to the balcony, which you will clean for an hour and five minutes. At 11:30, or if you finish the balcony sooner, you head to the kitchen. The cooks will hand you lunch and you will eat it at the table there. Your lunch time varies depending on if you finish late or early."

Elsa couldn't believe that Vanessa was reciting this all from memory," You have a thirty minute lunch break and most maids finish early so they go and change clothes, if there feeling dirty. At 12:00, head back upstairs to office number five, and clean that for an hour, then move to office number six and clean that for another hour, then go to the back corridor and spiffy that up for two hours, it's very long. At four you may do whatever you want, even outside the castle, for an hour. Then report back and begin hand washing the guards uniforms for the next day, which you will do in The Back Room with the other two bed maids." the queen was trying to print this in her brain

"That will be your social time for the day, this lasts for thirty minutes. Then to my room to clean for thirty minutes. At six you head to Josephs room to clean up in there. Which you do for an hour and at seven you head to the kitchen again and may eat with everybody or in your room.

"If you eat in your room be sure to put your dishes outside the hallway like in a motel. Or, you can go out into town and eat dinner out, just say your a maid and you can eat for free. But don't be out too late, Joseph may be able to protect you in the castle, but out, your all alone. Then curfew is at 11:00 and you go to sleep and repeat and repeat and repeat."

"So where should I go now?"

"Well, its five thirty, so, do you remember where you go?"

"Yep, I'm cleaning your room." At the moment, it happened that they were outside Vanessa's room

"Ok, don't worry about making it perfect, Im pretty good about keeping it neat!" she bounded down the hallway, Elsa sighed and entered the room. She immediately knew one thing: she is so not pretty good at keeping it clean. There were clothes everywhere, Elsa was faintly sure that the matress goes on the bed, and the curtains were totally not on the windows. Elsa decided her and her boyfriend must've had a good time. She also decided not to tell Joseph.

She started by hanging the clothes up and putting them all in the closet. Which, by the clock took ten minutes alone. Elsa decided monatering her time and splitting things to do would be the best way not to be late. She kind of hoped all the rooms were like this, just to keep her mind busy too. Next she moved to the curtains. The windows were absurdly high and Elsa had no idea how Vanessa had gotten them down, let alone getting them back up. She grabbed the latter from the bookshelves across the hall in Josephs room and got them fastened on while trying to balance as well. A process that took five more minutes. Next she moved to the matress and shoved it back in place on the bed. Or at least tried, Elsa ended up pushing and shoving and pulling with all her might to get that bad boy back in place. Only five more minutes, which Elsa used to make the bed and place the pillows with practiced presision.

As soon as the hand struck six Elsa raced with the ladder across the hall. When she did Joseph was sitting in his chair facing her. She wondered how she'd explain the ladder when Joseph spoke.

"Curtains?"

"How'd you know?"

"I used to be the one cleaning up after her."

"Ohhh," Elsa put the ladder back where she'd found it and began dusting some books. Joseph was reading one of them quietly. She wondered how on earth she could converse with him so easily after...

"So if i get like, sick or something, do i still have to work?"

"Absolutely not." He looked up from his book," if you're sick or not feeling well or just need a break tell the guard outside you're room and you can skip."

Elsa nodded and wondered if all the maids could skip. She seriously doubted it. Elsa absently dusted the books until her thoughts were

"You know that you still have to make the bed? Stuff like that?" Elsa snapped to attention and looked at the clock

"Dang," she'd waisted twenty minutes dusting books," there are a lot of them."

Joseph chuckled," thats true."

So Elsa put the duster away and made Joseph's bed, putting the pillows neatly on it, taking her time. She noticed that the bed was much bigger than hers and remembered how comfy it had been, how she'd just floated right on top of it comfortably. And she blushed at the fact that she'd been in his bed. She pondered washing the sheets so that he wouldn't have to smell her perfume, but left it.

She only has thirty minutes now. She moved to the couch and dusted that too, and then redid the pillows nicely. She then moved to one of the chairs and did the same, she skipped Joseph's because obviously he was sitting in it. She then went to pick up any excess pieces of anything on the floor. Details she'd not had time to mind in Vanessa's room, but Joseph's room seemed for the most part clean. Not as clean as Elsa's back in Arendelle, where she always made her bed and made sure that everything was in tip top shape.

When she was done Elsa decided to skip dinner and go straight to sleep, discovering that she was completely exhausted.

* * *

Things went the same way for about a month, Elsa cleaning, and not having time to be bored considering she was too busy cleaning. The days for the most part went by fast, she'd be alone most of the time except during lunch and the occasional passerby in the hallway. She continued to eat dinner in the quite of her room. Joseph continued to station a guard outside her room at all hours of the night. Not that Elsa really cared, as long as he didn't come in the room. Of course, she cleaned Josephs room every day, but she made sure to stay distant, like all of the other maids.

Today, Elsa had gone about her regular routine, breakfast, cleaning, the usual. She'd gone back to her room after dinner. But she couldn't sleep. Elsa hadn't had much of a problem with not seeing her family. All those years of isolation had really toughened her up. But being able to see Anna everyday for a while had grown on Elsa, she'd been familiar with it. And tonight, Elsa wished more than anything that she could see her sister. As the tears started to stream down her face she stared into the mirror. Elsa couldn't see any scars, but knows there there.

The hallways fade as she loses her bearings and stumbles around the castle. She knows where she has to go. Vanessa will be able to comfort her better than anyone else. But her hysteria has left her disoriented and she stumbles into the room across the hall from Vanessa.

"Elsa? What the-" he looked at her red eyes and black tears. His voice softened and he got up from his chair, putting his book down," What happened?"

She could feel the tears on her dry lips as they moved to form words that didn't sound like hers," I'm not sure."

"Why are you crying?" It seemed to her like Joseph wasn't sure what was happening

"I miss my family." The queen squeezed what she was determined to be the last of her tears out and stood a little taller.

"Do you want to sit?"

Elsa shook her head.

"Do you want to talk about anything?"

Elsa shook her head.

"What do you want me to do then? Im just want to comfort you."

"You can talk." Elsa wasn't even sure what she was saying, like her voice wasn't her own, like her mind wasn't controlling it," You can talk but you cannot touch."

He was silent for quite some time," Maybe I want to touch you."

Elsa wasn't sure to make of that, like she hadn't actually heard it. But Joseph looked at her earnestly. As if waiting for a response. But how was she supposed to respond to that?

"What if I don't want you to touch me?"

"Do you really hate me that much?" Elsa wondered why he would care

but still she was caught off guard by that and she spun around to look him in the face. He looked, hurt, betrayed, confused. Elsa saw the real Joseph there. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak, words seemed to have been one of the things that flew out when his eyes landed on her. He seemed suddenly so much closer than he had been just minutes before. she stood on feet that weren't hers and stumbled away from him, right into the wall. It caught her with hard unforgiving arms.

"You can't touch me." She said again, it sounded fragile, and she still couldn't believe it

"Yes I can." he seemed so certain, so sure of himself, it seemed ridiculous," I already have."

Black she could say was,"What?" There was nothing else to say, right?

"The first night you were here. Sleeping in my bed, tears streaming down your face. I told myself not too, but i couldn't stop. I wiped your tears away." He didn't say that he had wanted to do more. That he had never wanted to do anything more.

Elsa couldn't comprehend what she was hearing,_ it isn't possible, nobody can touch me._

"N-no you can't, its not possible."

"I can," he's gotten up and he's moved closer, much closer. Too close.

"What are you _doing." And _suddenly he was kissing her with so much force that Elsa lost what was left of her breath. His arm snakes around her back and pulls her closer. Elsa's body crashed with him and she shivered all over as he reached his hand through her hair. She kissed him back with all she was and all she ever would be, tears streaming down her face.

Elsa died a million times in those few seconds, and each time she came back alive as his lips moved against hers as if they were made for each other. He looked deep into her eyes and kissed away her tears, all down her brow, to her cheeks and down her neck. She gasped and choked and clutched his chest and wondered when she'd realize how wrong this is. Joseph pulled his arms tighter around Elsa and brought her into a hug. His soft lips pressed to her forehead.

He picked her up and she shivered as if it were possible for her to get frostbite. He picked her up and carried her through the halls, all the way back to her room. The guards didn't ask what had happened. They never ask. But this time they didn't need to. Word had gone around of the scorching hot weather and the snow falling. And all eyes had turned to the palace. They didn't need to ask.

"Please," she whispered," stay."

So Joseph slid in next to her and breathed in the scent of peppermint and vanilla. He could get used to an arrangement like this.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**The Search** **Begins**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen or any other Disney franchise **

* * *

"But still, I find the need to remind myself of the temporariness of a day, to reassure myself that I got through yesterday, I'll get through today"

-Gayle Forman; Where she went

* * *

**July 6, 1845**

**11:43 am**

**The Court Room**

**Anna's POV**

Here I am, in the court room, leading Elsa's royal council, making decisions over Elsa's kingdom, in Elsa's chair. I think that's the worst part. Knowing that I am not here because I earned it, or because I'm the queen, but because... you know why. But basically, I feel like a fraud. Kristof has made attempt after attempt to tell me that i am great at this and that I can do it. But I know that he is just as nervous. I keep reminding myself that I'm not alone. Not to mention that I'm trying my very hardest to act the part. No singing randomly or wreaking havoc all over the kingdom, and worst of all, no chocolate.

After my mind has wrapped around that I feel guilty. How could I not. It's been over a week since Joseph took Elsa and nothing has been done. No longer, I don't care what I have to do, I'm getting my sister back.

" Is everybody here?" Kristof asked as if reading my mind, the men and woman throughout the room nodded and looked at us expectantly. I knew what Elsa would do and took the reins.

"Has anything of significance come up?" Everybody looked down at their papers as if all the answers were there. Eventually they looked up and gingerly shook there heads. I sighed inwardly but showed no emotion outside.

"Then shall we get straight to the point?" Again, they all nodded," Okay, the kingdom is not in peril, the crops are good, taxes are good, life is good. Now if that's that, we have a bigger problem looming over our heads. Elsa. I have thought about what we should do and I have decided that sending out a rescue team would be good. The question remains, where? Well, I don't know, but I want a team of twenty men heading north east, the direction in which Joseph was seen going, by dawn."

"Princess Anna, I'm not sure we can spare twenty men, our resources are stretched as it is and..." I couldn't hear the rest from the hallway, I could hear the room I just exited erupt into what I knew was something near panic though.

* * *

**July 6, 1845**

**Elsa's new room**

**12:03 am**

When Joseph awoke he was mildly surprised that he was not in his room. And he almost fell out of the bed when he realized that it was Elsa's room. And that she was in his arms. He smiled at that and removed her arms from his as incognito as he could manage. The girl stirred and her eyes fluttered open. Very wide in fact as she jerked upright, and swayed from the fast movement.

Joseph told himself that the fact that she wasn't wearing a shirt had no effect on him, but it did. It totally did. The queen turned to him with big eyes and then down to herself and she quickly pulled the covers over herself. Joseph chuckled and her eyes narrowed back to normal size, they became confused.

"What are you doing in here?" She asked

"Do you remember last night?" she thought back to it and apparently she did because she looked back at him with a look of horror.

"Did we?"

"What?! No gods no Elsa!"

"That's not what I meant, but did you touch me?"

"Yeah, a lot."

She smirked and got out of bed, with the sheets on (god you guys are perverts), and ran over to her dresser, looking for a nightgown. Joseph followed her and wrapped his arms around her. Her gasp was audible and she spun around.

"Don't do that." It seemed a warning

"Why not?" He backed up a little, giving her space

"You shot me, you kidnapped me, you brought me here. I should've never let you touch me." Venom laced her voice and when she saw the hurt look on his face, hers softened," surely you get it. Joseph, last night was emotional for me, that man, I don't even know. But my emotions we're high. I I wasn't in my right mind."

"What are you saying?" Joseph couldn't comprehend, or didn't want to.

"Joseph, you don't even know me. And it's not like we were dating or anything. So can we just forget about last night? And still be friends?" Joseph was quite sure he hadn't nodded but Elsa smiled a smile that did as much damage as a gun and left.

Joseph followed her out but stopped and watched as she disappeared around the corner.

"Women," one of the gaurds posted out in front of Elsa's door said

"what are ya gonna do?" The other one shrugged

* * *

**July 6, 1845**

**8:48 pm**

**The Bada Bing **

As far as Olaf is concerned, the Bada bing is the best saloon in Arendelle. It has everything, food, live music, including their very own rendition of I've gotta dream, it's even got a bunch if scary looking dudes drinking cold ale. What more could a little innocent snowman want? Well, I can tell you. Olaf wandered to the very back of the bar, right to the main attraction.

The fire.

Olaf watched the flames dance while sitting under a table. Not many people were back here. Most of them sat upfront and watched the entertainment. He couldn't understand why a lady dancing on a pole could possibly be entertaining, but hey, who was he to judge?

Olaf was just about to leave when two men came stomping up and sat down on the barrels by Olafs table. Some of the beer dripped down the side of the table as one of them smashed it down. Now what was Olaf gonna do but try it? Long story short, Olaf loved it! And he was just about to come out from under the table and ask for more when one of the men spoke up. His accent was one Olaf had never heard, but considering he'd never actually heard an accent, he wasn't too sure.

"Roahl, I'm telling you, Joseph is treating that girl like she's a god. I've never seen nothin like it." Olaf had heard the name Joseph before, but he couldn't remember where, oh well

"Whatever Adrian, that's not important, the problem is the dude who hired him. I've heard stories, its fishy. I don't like the feel of it. He's gotta, so to speak dispose of her before that guy comes a knockin. We should talk to boss."

"I totally agree with you man. And after that maybe we can go and fly our magic ponies to wonderland with ten beautiful woman and some gin." He batted his eyelashes and made a pouty face

"Oh shut your pipe you popka," he tilted the cup all the way up and the last of the drink slid down his throat

"Ok ok, I'm done." The man also drained his drink at then pushed back his chair and got up

"If we don't go soon, the ship will leave without us." The other man grunted in acknowledgment and they both headed for the door

Olaf strained his, well holes, to hear those last few words

"Off to Masauch we go!"

* * *

**July 7, 1845**

**2:30 pm**

**Joseph's room**

Elsa took a deep breath and pushed the door open. She had allowed herself to hope that he wouldn't be in there. Silly girl, she should have known. He was sitting in his normal chair reading a book. He didn't look up when Elsa came in, but as she turned her back she could feel his eyes on her. The whole time she dusted his massive bookshelves she could feel his eyes on her.

The former queen spun around and engaged in a starring contest with him. They held each others gazes for a long time but when Elsa narrowed her eyes he looked away and chuckled. Elsa hated that noise because if how much she loved it. If that makes any sense.

She continued cleaning and they didn't talk once. This only made Elsa regret their kiss more. Before they could joke about inappropriate things without it being awkward. She hoped that someday, they would be able to be normal friends again.

Across the room, Joseph pretended to read. Every now and again he'd glance up at her back and find himself imagining her in her ice dress. Her hair done carelessly into a side braid. Not into the tight low bun it was in now. He imagined her standing on the balcony of her ice palace. The one he'd heard stories of many a time. He could just see her standing there with the grace of a wild stallion, the gaze of a wolf and the freedom of an eagle in her eyes.

Joseph regretted the kiss too, in someways, but not the same as Elsa. He wished that he hadn't kissed her because now all he can think about is the way her lips felt pressed against his, the way her cold flesh felt against his hands. His hot body pressed against hers. It drugged him into a delirium he wished so badly that he could escape from. The man couldn't think straight. Everything he saw reminded him of Elsa. Reminded him of how he'd given himself to her and she'd smashed him in two.

He shook his head and tried to read. It didn't work. So he closed the book shut and watched Elsa hop from the noise. He walked to the balcony and was much more aware than he should be that her blue eyes were on him. It made him feel awkward and stiff. He knew exactly when her eyes wandered back to his bed, which she'd been making. And of course his thoughts wandered then to her sleeping in his bed. He cursed himself internally. He knows that someday, when Elsa has adjusted to her life, when she is married and has kids, that maybe he will forget. Just like he's hoped to with Margaret. But never did he find solace until he found Elsa. And now look at him.

Joseph looked back at Elsa just as she looked at him. The queen looked away and blushed. Joseph shook his head a little and smiled at her innocence. Joseph took a deep breath and walked to his desk. He looked down and picked up an envelope, then he walked over to Elsa. Who was now straightening up the couches.

She looked up at him in confusion.

"Queen Elsa, I would like to formally invite you to my annual ball." He handed her the sheet which, in fine hand writing, explained the nature of the event.

"I don't know..." she looked at the letter in her hand and at Joseph again

"Just think about it, I would love for you to come, and I know my sister wants you to too." And with that, Joseph walked out the room, leaving Elsa with a clean room and a confused as ever mind

* * *

**July 7, 1845**

**4:00 pm**

**The Church**

Anna walked into the church and sat down to pray! she hadn't been here in years. So the rituals were kind of rusty for her. there was no service in session but many people were wandering about, praying and talking in hushed voices. The bishop stood at the front of the room taking confessions and occasionally communion for those who wished. Anna took a deep breath and went upfront.

"Princess Anna," his smile radiated throughout the room," so good to see you here."

Anna nap returned the smile half heatedly and knelt down. She asked god to help the kingdom and other kingdoms, and finally she prayed for Elsa. The princess prayed that her sister be safe and that they would find her and bring her back. When she was done she was just fighting back tears and the bishop asked if she wished to take communion, Anna shook her head no and said she'd come back soon. On the way out she dipped her right hand in water.

In_ the name of the father and of __the son and of the Holy Spirit._


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Solace**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I disclaim the movie frozen**

* * *

**July 11, 1845**

**9:15**

**Ballroom**

Joseph stood off to the side of the room enjoying some red wine with one of his good friends. Harry was carrying on and in about how 'bloody awful' the weather is back in England. Joseph nods along absently while the man talks. He scans the floor again, the room is packed but people stopped flowing in about five minutes ago. Joseph knows that she should be here.

"Are you looking for someone?" Harry asked after a nice long sip of wine

"I am, but it appears that she isn't going to show." Joseph tried to hide his disappointment, but harry knew him better than that

"She? You wouldn't happen to have feelings for this lass, would ya?" His friend was teasing but Joseph knew he had to answer

"No," he replied a second to late, his friends smile grew to cocky and Joseph rolled his eyes while scowling. Harry just slapped him on the back, almost spilling both of their wines

"Ain't no shame in it boy. In fact, the only shame is that I'm not gonna get to meet her." He shook his head and took another sip, emptying the remaining contents. Joseph swirled around the liquid in his half empty cup and nodded.

"Suddenly, I don't think you'll be missin your she friend too much," Harry was focused on a spot behind him, at the stair case. Joseph froze and was almost afraid to turn around. Finally he spun around mid sip and sure enough, there was Elsa. Descending the stairs like an angel from the heavens. He choked on his wine and Harry turned to him.

"Woah! Joseph, man, are you okay?" He took Joseph's cup and set it on the table, handing him a napkin, Joseph cleaned the wine of his chin.

"Yeah yeah, I'm okay." He assured his friend, but he wasn't looking at Harry. No, everyone was looking at the former queen of Arendelle. She blushed at all the attention. Plenty of single men made their way too her. She turned her head to return a greeting and Joseph did what every other man in the room was doing: he checked her out.

Her dress appeared to be the same design as her ice one. With the cape flowing out the back and no cut in the leg, and of course it covered all her skin. But the part that hit him the hardest aside from how tight the dress was and how it fit her just right, was the color. Red. Joseph decided then that this was going to be the way he died. She wore black heels as high as the sky, black gloves, and her hair was pulled back into its coronation bun, but with two ringlets of blonde hair framing her face.

You don't have to guess who she walked up too.

"Oh dear Joseph," his friend whispered," I see why your in such a predicament." And theN he walked away with a not so subtle wink.

Elsa finally reached him and she smiled while whispering," why is everybody stating at me?"

Joseph was about to reply but another voice beat him to it," it's the dress, not gonna lie."

Elsa turned her head to face Sergei. Who was smiling dopily and handing Elsa a drink. She took it and thanked him for his... Kind words. He seemed preoccupied and shuffled away to hand out more drinks. Mostly to the pretty woman in the room.

"Do _you _think the dress is too much?"

For Joseph the dress was way too much," Not at all, it's just right for this event." He said instead, she beamed and Joseph resisted the urge to shield his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something when a man came up and asked Elsa for a dance. She declined, saying she doesn't dance. The man was persistent, but so was Elsa. Eventually, he led her to a few of his friends.

Joseph turned around when there was a tentative tap on his shoulder. A girl that was about a foot shorter than him put her drink down and smiled a small smile.

"Would you like to dance?" She asked, Joseph smiled and nodded

"I was dancing with this other guy but he was totally checking out every girl in the room, so I was like, you know what? I'm gonna find someone else to dance with. And then I saw you sipping on your wine and I knew you needed a dance partner too. So here we are," she babbled on as they swayed softly to the music.

"I see, so where are you coming from?" He said casually

"Oh yeah, my apologies, I'm princess Kristen of Schexth," Joseph nodded as she launched into a full scale history lesson of her home kingdom

Josephs eyes swept the floor, he told himself that he was looking for no one in particular. Of course the first person his eyes found were hers. She was talking to five young bachelors and laughing at something one said. Her smile took up her entire face and reached her eyes, giving them a shine that filled Joseph with warmth. He could see how her body hunched over and her hand went to her mouth, trying to cover her giggles. She blushed fiercely and wiped tears from her eyes.

"Sir?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, what did you say?" Joseph directed his attention back to the girl

"You love her don't you?"

"Who? Elsa? I do not," he felt defensive, but the girl saw right through him

"Yes you do, you are in love with the queen," she smiled," well I'm not sure why your dancing with me when you could be dancing with her."

Joseph wasn't sure what to say, lucky for him this girl could read emotions really we'll," don't let me get in the way! Thanks for the dance!" And she hurried off to find another dance partner, leaving Joseph flustered and feeling very awkward.

He stood at the edge of the dance floor, sipping some wine. Elsa was still talking with the men. Still laughing. Still ignoring Joseph. Finally he found an old friend to talk to. One of his best friends when he was a kid.

"Joseph?" He heard Elsa's voice from behind and turned around

"Ill have to talk to you later..." Joseph began to say goodbye to his friend, but Quincy was already gone.

"Were you talking to someone?"

"Um, I was, but he's gone now." Elsa nodded and looked at her drink awkwardly

"Elsa I..." She looked at him and he tried to speak again," would you like to dance?"

"I don't dance."

"Well that's a shame,"

"Why?"

"You look like a girl who needs to be danced with." Elsa smiled and reluctantly let Joseph lead her to the floor

The song was slow and they swayed together as best they could with the many inches of space swimming between them. Suddenly, a man bowed and bumped right into Elsa. Sending her body crashing into Joseph's. He gasped so loud that half the crowd turned. Elsa's cheeks were the color of her dress. They didn't talk for a while after that.

Joseph didn't notice until she shivered that he'd started rubbing circles on her waste. They both looked down and his hand stilled.

"No, please don't stop," Joseph looked up at Elsa but her eyes were closed, he took in a shaky breath but continued.

"So, I haven't heard so much about your past," Elsa spoke out, she saw the look on his face and regretted it," I'm sorry, I don't-"

"No, you should know." His voice was soft but his face was lined with grief. He started to walk away and Elsa realized she was meant to follow. They snuck out the room without a second glance. Joseph led her down large rooms with yawning doorways and wide hallways with big windows. He also took her through cramped hallways and little rooms. She felt as if they had gone in a million circles when finally he stopped at a door.

It was quite easily the biggest door Elsa had ever seen. It was wood with intricate designs that towered high over Elsa's head. She admired the door while Joseph dug in his pocket. Finally he pulled out a key and shoved it into the lock. Joseph shoved the door to reveal a room.

Elsa supposed it would've once been a beautiful room. But it was trashed, furniture thrown in random corners of the room. Some things were charred as if they'd been burned. Ripped fabric strewn in random places. It was as if a stampede had run through.

Joseph sat on a couch that faced a fire placed with a long burnt out fire. He motioned for Elsa to sit to. She did and looked around the room. It was huge and dark. Nobody had been in here for years.

"This used to be my room." He began eventually," I was eighteen and there was this girl. She was beautiful and mysterious, and my life was so boring. It was natural for me to fall for her, right?" It sounded like he was trying to convince himself, not Elsa," I was shy and shy was shy. It took about three months for me to talk to her. But after that, we just came together. It was on this night five years ago that I was going to propose. And she came to me, and she told me that there was someone else. She told me she didn't love me, and she left." Elsa could see the anguish in his eyes

"I'm so sorry Joseph,"

"Don't be sorry, it wouldn't of worked. I wasn't-"

"Joseph-" Elsa cut him off, she started to move away. Not sure of what he was about to say. He put his hand on her thigh and she stopped.

"No, I want you to hear this. I wasn't in love with her. It wouldn't of worked with us. We would've been sad with our lives. But I was so sure back then. So sure that she was the right one for me, that it hurt so much. I came back here and tore everything up, threw the furniture everywhere. I destroyed everything that reminded me of her." Joseph saw Elsa about to speak," but I wasn't in love with her. I was in love with the idea of her. The idea of having a beautiful little family. Growing old with someone..." He trailed off," You say that it won't work between us," Elsa squeezed her eyes shut, she had known this was coming," I just want you to know that you should never make a rash decision. Don't ever convince yourself that you love someone that you don't."

"I should get back to the ball," Elsa got up and Joseph got up after her

"Elsa," she turned around with wide eyes," can I tell you something?"

She didn't say anything," You destroy me."

"Joseph-" Elsa cursed herself, all she could say was Joseph.

"It hurts, the way you look right now, how you say you can't be with me but then you go and make me want nothing more. It hurts to know that your gonna fall in love with someone else. It hurts because your the only one I will ever love, and you don't love me back." when Elsa didn't say anything he continued," Why Elsa? Just give me closure. It will hurt less."

"Because I hate you Joseph," Elsa didn't yell, she didn't snap, she didn't do anything," you took everything from me. You took me from my sister, and Olaf, Sven, Kristof. My whole family, you took them from me. And your the only one that can touch me? It's not a coincidence, and your not telling me why."

Her words hung in the air in broken silence. Josephs pain was written on his face. But Elsa didn't feel anything. She turned around and left, the door stayed open behind her.

Joseph didn't return to the party after that. He sat down on the couch and fought back the tears that threatened to spill over. He should've known. Joseph thinks to himself, I did this to her. He spent the whole night not sure what to do. He paced, looked over his kingdom, he tried reading. But finally, he succumbed to his thoughts. And in the middle of the night he knew what he had to do.

If you love her, let her go.

* * *

The next morning there was quite the commotion in Corona. Rapunzel and Eugene Were awoken by one of there butlers, Linus. Who was, to say the least, very undone. Meaning that he'd had a rude awakening too.

"You're majesty's," he tried to catch his breath," The king. And the queen. Wish to see. You, right now."

To to which, the couple had looked at each other and gotten dressed, Rapunzel has always been a morning person, but Eugene, we'll... By the time they finally got ready, Linus was waiting outside for them.

"What's going on? Is it a surprise? I love surprises!" Rapunseal bounced up and down next to her husband. Linus looked at her out of the corner of his eye and couldn't help but smile. He'd been at the castle since before the young princesses disappearance.

"Chill blonde. I'm sure everything is fine," he leaned and whispered to Linus," please tell me everything is alright."

"Quite sir, we have quite good news." That seemed about enough to calm down Eugene, so Linus didn't see the need to further explain. At this point they had almost reached the gates.

"Good news!? Oh this is just wonderful!" She announced as they walked through the gates. The scene before them was chaotic to say the least. About fifteen men we facing the gates, guards surrounding them, the king and queen were there, and more than a few bystanders. The trio cut through the crowd to find a very peculiar scene.

"Elsa?"

* * *

**Ok, where to start? I'm so sorry for the really really really long break. I just needed some time to gather my senses. I felt like the story was getting sloppy, and the plot is kinda complex, so I was trying not to confuse myself and you guys. And don't mind any spelling mistakes, I did try and not make any, but who knows?**

**Also, I did change the title, so sorry if that confused anybody. I do like this title a lot better though. I'm trying to update like two times a week. Though I'm not sure about this week because it's home coming. Go lions! But I think I'm finally getting somewhere with my writing. **

**And yes, Joseph and Elsa are gonna take a long break. Like maybe five chapters? I'm hoping to get in some of Elsa's family moments, and also, maybe we will find some sparks between Henry and Elsa? But you didn't hear that from me. So Joseph is gonna give Elsa some time. **

**Also, if anyone has any awesome ideas or constructive criticism, that would be awesome. and if anyone can tell me the inciting moment of this story I'll give you a cookie. **


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